


Breathless

by avianscribe



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blood, Deep Vein Thrombosis, Gen, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Panic Attacks, Seizures, Sick Ignis, Sickfic, Whump, illness recovery, pulmonary embolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-05-23 23:10:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 39,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14943110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avianscribe/pseuds/avianscribe
Summary: The guys find out that there are health consequences to spending long hours in a car... and recovering from them isn't easy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't help wondering, while playing this game, whether or not they were taking enough breaks to prevent things like deep-vein thrombosis -- or if they were even thinking about it. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I am not a doctor! This fic cannot in any way be construed as medical advice. Go to a doctor for that!

No one knew when Ignis first noticed something wrong, because the idiot didn't say anything about it.

Which was probably to be expected; the guy was stoic beyond belief and if something was going to interfere with his duty, he was going to ignore it as long as possible, even at the expense of his own health.

Prompto noticed something when they got out of the car at Malmalam Thicket. It was about a week after their longest drive (they'd traveled the entire route from the Rock of Ravatogh to Hammerhead, had pushed through the marathon drive with only a single break at the Taelpar rest stop for a breather, and everyone had agreed afterward that they should Never Do That Again) and they were making their way back across Cleigne on one of many gil-making errands. They pulled into the small car park near Telghey Haven. Ignis hesitated instead of jumping out of the car as usual, and Prompto saw a flicker of… something… cross Ignis's face.

“You okay?” Prompto asked.

Ignis looked at him in surprise, almost as if he'd been caught filching a cookie from the pantry. “Oh, it's nothing. I just need to stretch my legs.”

“Don't we all,” Noct moaned from the back seat.

“Up and at 'em, Princess,” Gladio said, giving Noct's shoulder a shove before he pushed his own door open. Noct followed suit, if more slowly.

Gladio stepped out of the Regalia, laced his fingers together and stretched his huge arms over his head. His spine gave several loud cracks. Then he gave his head an aggressive jerk to each side, with another pop each time.

“You're a beast,” Noct said, but took a moment himself to take a stretch that ended in a long groan.

Ignis stepped out of the car more slowly, stretched each leg carefully, then rotated each ankle. He winced as he did so, like the movement hurt. Prompto eyed him over the car. But whatever it was that Prompto had seen, Ignis shook it off and assumed his customary calm and unruffled demeanor. Noct summoned their chocobos… and nothing else appeared out of the ordinary. They headed into the depths of the thicket, like everything was normal... and Prompto let his little nagging worry go.

* * *

Gladio noticed something that evening at camp.

Dinner was done. The sun had yet to set, and Noct had followed Prompto down to the river to snap some photos of the sky reflecting in it. Once everything was cleaned up, Ignis dragged their cooler over to his camp chair. He sagged into the chair, propped his feet up on the cooler, leaned back, and closed his eyes with a sigh.

Gladio looked at him, his bushy eyebrows pinching together with concern. “Something wrong, Iggy?”

“I'm fine,” Ignis said. At the same time, he was flexing his feet, alternating between pointing his toes and stretching his heels -- a stretch Gladio recognized.

“Problem with your legs?” he said.

Ignis opened one eye and gave him a piercing look. “I'll be fine,” he repeated, and closed his eye again. “Just a cramp in my calf. Maybe I'm not getting enough potassium… Perhaps we should purchase some bananas the next time we stop in Lestallum.”

Gladio grunted.

“What?” Ignis said.

“That’s not like you. Your diet is so perfectly coordinated that I just can't see you having an issue because of some nutritional deficiency.”

“My, aren't we eloquent tonight.”

“Can it, Iggy.”

Ignis smiled. “If I could preserve sarcasm the same way I could fruit, I'd--”

“Just --” Gladio waved a hand, stopping Ignis before he could finish the joke. “Let me be concerned, okay? And stop deflecting me.” Gladio sighed. “We'll get you your potassium, but say something if the muscle cramps don't go away. I mean it,” he pressed, when Ignis opened his mouth to say something.

Ignis pursed his lips together for a moment, looking uncharacteristically mulish. Then he sighed. “Very well.”

They drove straight to Lestallum the next day and got bananas.

* * *

Noct was the only one who _didn't_ notice that Ignis wasn't sleeping well. Considering Noct could sleep like the dead just about anywhere, that surprised exactly no one.

With the way the canvas tent amplified sounds, it was hard for Gladio and Prompto _not_ to notice Ignis's restlessness -- the rustling as he changed positions, how he sighed every now and then. He did his best, in his corner next to the wall, to keep from jostling his neighbor (Noctis, who probably would have slept through it anyway). Then he would rise as soon as it started to be light outside. Gladio and Prompto would get up later for their morning exercise routines and find Ignis in the camp chair with his legs up, eating a banana.

Noct _did_ notice when Ignis's normal patience and composure finally started to crack, thanks to his fatigue.

“What is _up_ with you?” Noct said, some days after Malmalam, when Ignis cursed for the third time while trying to open a stubborn jar of preserves.

Ignis set the jar down on the cooking station with a clack and leaned heavily on the table. “My apologies,” he murmured.

Gladio wordlessly stood, stalked over to the table, grabbed the jar, twisted the lid till it popped open, and set it back down, all the while scowling at Ignis.

Ignis didn't look at him. Shadows emphasized the dark circles under his eyes.

“C’mon, Iggy,” Gladio said. “You haven’t been sleeping well. What’s going on?”

“It’s--”

“If you say ‘it’s nothing’ _again_ , I’m going to kick your ass.”

Ignis straightened and looked at Gladio. Noct stood up from his camp chair and looked back and forth between the two, and Prompto cowered in his own chair, his face anxious.

“It’s your legs, isn’t it?” Gladio said.

Ignis said nothing.

“Enough is enough, Ignis. You've tried your potassium, but it's not working. We're talking you to the clinic.”

“Wait, what?” Noct said, stepping towards the cooking station.

“Iggy’s legs have been bothering him all week,” Gladio said. “He hasn’t been sleeping.”

“Yeah,” Prompto piped in. “You've been having trouble since Malmalam, right?”

“What?” Noct leaned on the table across from Ignis and searched his face. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to be a bother,” Ignis said, his voice quiet.

“Ignis, please, bother me,” Noct said.

“I didn’t want to disrupt everything with a little leg ache,” Ignis protested.

“Yeah, well,” Gladio said, “Charley horses don’t last for a full week, Ignis. You need to have it looked at.”

Ignis sighed. “Very well. We need to stop in Lestallum again, anyway. Iris is coming with Monica to pick up some supplies for Cape Caem. We'll check in with them, talk to the tipsters--”

“ _We'll_ do all that, Specs,” Noct said, his voice firm. “ _You_ are going to check in at the clinic as soon as we get there and find out what's going on.” He walked around the table and put a hand on Ignis's shoulder. “I need you to take care of yourself… because I don't know what I'd do without you.”

Ignis gave him a half smile and exhaled. “Of course, Highness.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis has to grapple with an unpleasant diagnosis...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll repeat my disclaimer... I am not a doctor, and this fic does not constitute medical advice! Also, never trust a search engine to give complete and accurate advice about medical conditions...!

As soon as they arrived in Lestallum, they dropped Ignis off at the clinic and checked in at the Leville. Noct texted Ignis their room number. Gladio and Iris had a lively reunion, and Noct sat down with Monica to exchange news.

It was some hours before Ignis returned. They were all, including Iris and Monica, sitting down in the hotel room on chairs and beds and floor to a takeout dinner when there was a soft knock on the door and Prompto bounced up to open it. Ignis entered and smiled at their greetings, his face a perfect, polite mask that at least Gladio and Noct recognized as a front. 

Prompto pushed a takeout box into Ignis’s hands and he sat down to join them. He deflected any and all questions about his visit to the clinic, and it was clear he wasn't interested in talking about it with an audience, so they let it go.

It wasn't until their guests took their leave and the door clicked shut behind them that Gladio finally leaned back and folded his arms. “Out with it,” he said.

Ignis grimaced into his coffee. “It was mortifying,” he said. “I'll not grace you with the details of what they do to get an ultrasound of your leg veins, but--”

“Wait,” Prompto interjected, “you had to get an _ ultrasound?”  _ He laughed, high and manic. “I thought only pregnant people got those.”

“Ultrasounds are used for a lot of things,  _ Prompto, _ ” Ignis said, with a touch of heat. 

Noct shoved Prompto’s shoulder, and Prompto keeled over with a dramatic yelp onto the mattress. “Knock it off, dude,” Noct said, “it's not the time.”

“So what did they say?” Gladio asked.

Ignis sighed. “Blood clots,” he said bitterly. “Likely caused by too many hours in a car.” 

Gladio's eyebrows shot up. Noct's breath hissed in through his gritted teeth, and Prompto sobered quickly and sat up, his face pinched with worry.

“But--” Prompto glanced at all of them, then back at Ignis. “We've  _ all _ had too many hours in a car. How come you're the only one with…” he gestured at Ignis's legs.

“According to the clinician,” Ignis said, “some people are just… more susceptible than others.”

Gladio grunted. “Guess you're lucky, then,” he said.

“ _ I _ wouldn't call this lucky,” Noct said.

“So what now?” Prompto asked in a small voice.

Ignis took a deep breath. “Well, we'll have to plan extra travel time, because I will have to stop every other hour to walk around and get my blood moving.”

“But--” Noct's brows knit together in worry. “what about treatment  _ now _ ? Do you have to stay off your feet?”

“No,” Ignis said. “In fact, more exercise will help prevent problems in the future. And I'll be taking aspirin, for the pain and as a bit of a blood thinner.”

Noct sighed. “As long as you're okay, Specs.”

Ignis smiled. “I'll be fine.”

He pointedly did not look at Gladio, whose face looked like a storm cloud.

* * *

 

Later, Noct and Prompto headed out on the town. Gladio leaned against the balcony railing, alternating between poking at his phone and watching the plaza, and Ignis puttered around the hotel room, tidying and otherwise expending his nervous energy. 

When Gladio turned back to the room, Ignis was refolding towels. “How 'bout you stop running on your little hamster wheel over there and tell me whatever it is you held back before.”

“There's nothing to tell, Gladio,” Ignis said, still folding. “Deep-vein thrombosis is a common ailment, highly treatable. As long as I'm careful, I can avoid any further complications.”

Gladio was silent a minute, arms folded, watching as Ignis moved on from the towels to sorting Noct's toiletries. When he finally spoke, Gladio’s voice was somber. “There was a Crownsguard who had that… you know. Last year. Blew out his knee in training and needed surgery, and got blood clots while he was on bed rest.”

Ignis glanced at him. “Well, they do say clots are common after surgeries. He pulled through, though?”

“He died.” 

Ignis stilled and looked at Gladio. His jaw twitched a little as he clenched his teeth.

“You remember.” Gladio stepped closer. “Healthy, fit Crownsguard who suddenly dropped dead because a blood clot went to his lungs.”

Ignis looked away.

“I just Moogled blood clot treatment.” Gladio nodded toward the balcony. “Mind telling me why you're only on aspirin instead of a serious blood thinner?”

“I thought you knew better than to rely on Moogle dot com for medical advice,” Ignis quipped.

Gladio raised an eyebrow at him.

“Gladio, you know how dangerous our lives are. How long do you think I'd last on an anticoagulant? If I get injured, even a little, I could bleed out before I got help.”

“Or you could drop dead of a pulmonary embolism!”

The two stared at each other over the hotel bed, one defensive and the other angry.

Gladio looked away first. “Look, just promise me that you'll go back tomorrow and get the good blood thinners. Promise me, and I won't tell Noctis.”

Ignis's face hardened. “So it's blackmail, is it?”

“No, Iggy, it's--”

“I’ve been healthy my whole life,  _ Gladiolus _ , and I'm not about to let that change now. I can take care of myself.”

Gladio exhaled in exasperation. “You think I don't know that? Please. Just do this one thing for me.”

Ignis glared for several heartbeats, but finally relaxed. “All right,” he said. Maybe it was a symptom of his anxiety that he backed down that quickly.

Gladio's shoulders slumped and he sighed. “Promise?”

“As soon as the clinic is open,” Ignis said, and returned to his puttering. 

There was a tense silence. Gladio watched Ignis work for a while before he spoke again. “Did they say anything else?”

Ignis didn't answer right away. When he did, his voice was soft and tired-sounding. “They… said that if I had a sudden onset of chest pain or shortness of breath that I should find the closest ER.”

“Well, that makes me feel real confident,” Gladio growled.

Ignis sighed heavily. “This is the last thing we need,” he said.

The growing sound of laughter in the hallway brought their conversation to an end. Noct and Prompto entered, leaning on each other and showing signs of being at least slightly inebriated. Gladio and Ignis both smiled and said no more.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reblog writing stuff on Tumblr at https://avianscribe.tumblr.com/ ...!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not pictured in the previous chapter: Ignis’s ultrasound tech, cheerfully chatting away while doing the ultrasound, then suddenly getting very quiet and taking lots of notes, and being not chatty for the rest of the ultrasound...

The plan the next morning involved tracking down clues on the remaining Royal Arms. Since Cid nearly had the boat repaired for their trip to Altissia, they were running short on time. Rumors from the hunters hinted that they should explore the Myrlwood, maybe climb the Rock of Ravatogh, and investigate some ruin in the Falgrove that looked like it was going to be a bit of a nightmare. 

They wanted to get an early start.

Ignis woke with the dawn, as usual, and by the time Gladio and Prompto were up, had already packed nearly everything that was his or Noct’s. (Noct slept on, oblivious.) Gladio and Prompto did their best to catch up, and when Noct was finally up, they were mostly ready to go.

Iris and Monica treated them to breakfast at one of the food carts in the Lestallum market. Then Gladio led Prompto and Noct back to the Leville to begin packing the car, while Ignis murmured excuses about purchasing some spices in the market. Before they parted ways, Ignis caught Gladio's eye and gave a quick nod -- which Gladio returned.

They took their time checking out of the hotel and carrying everything to the car, since they were waiting for Ignis. Before they made it to the Regalia Gladio's phone chimed.

Iggy [8:48] >> These medicines cost a pretty gil, Gladio  
Iggy [8:48] >> I hope you'll still be happy about this when we're taking extra hunts to pay for them.

Gladio smirked, and typed in “just take your medicine, dumbass. we'll all be happier that you're taking care of yourself and, you know, not dying” and sent it.

Iggy [8:50] >> *eyeroll emoji* I'll meet you at the car.

They loaded their luggage into the Regalia, tossed in a bag of snacks Prompto had picked up at a booth on the way to the lot, and then walked down to the overlook below the car park. Prompto ran ahead and had his camera out already, snapping pictures before the other two caught up to him.

It didn't seem like they waited long. Gladio was just starting to glance toward the car more frequently, his brows beginning to knit together in a scowl, when his phone chimed again. 

Iggy [9:16] >> Gladio I need you to come find me  
Gladio [9:16] >> you ok?  
Iggy [9:17] >> no

Gladio's head snapped toward Prompto and Noct, who were huddled around Prompto's camera again to look through another set of Prompto's weird selfies. “Hey, uh, sit tight guys, I gotta go check something out.”

“Everything okay?” Noct asked.

“I'll let you know when I find out,” he said, and left before Noct could reply.

He headed as fast as he could without running towards the upper levels, typing and sending a quick “where are you?” By the time he reached the first food carts his phone chimed.

Iggy [9:19] >> next to the weapons shop where we've been trading our hunting spoils

That was just a stairway or two down from the clinic. He really hadn’t gotten far. Gladio typed in “be there soon” and took off at a jog.

Gladio peeled around the corner into the alley leading to the weapons shop. Ignis sat on a crate on the other side of the shop, resting his head against the wall. His chest was heaving, like he'd just run a mile. Gladio slowed as he approached. “Iggy?” he said.

Ignis opened his eyes and looked up. His brows were pinched together, his eyes wide and wet -- his face entirely uncomposed and unlike him. “Gladio, I… think I need to go to the ER, but… I'm not sure how far I can walk.”

Gladio squatted next to him. “What's going on?”

“I was… just walking down the stairs. But I was suddenly so winded... like I had fought a pack of voretooth. And there's a pressure --” he rubbed a palm back and forth over his chest, “-- here. And my heart's racing.”

Gladio clenched his jaw. “That's… not good.” 

“Gladio… what am I going to do? We don’t have time for this.” Ignis's brows drew together and he exhaled sharply. But under that irritation was something else -- something vulnerable. His expression begged for reassurance. Ignis, the one who was the solid, unflappable foundation of their group, was untethered, needing something to cling to.

Gladio picked up the message right away. “Right now, we’re taking you to the ER,” he said a voice that sounded calm but held an undercurrent of urgency. He stood and offered Ignis a hand up. Ignis took it, and, once standing, leaned on his arm. “Let me text Noct and then let's get you--”

“What are you going to tell him?”

“The truth, Ignis. What else? You're going to the hospital, and that probably means we aren't going anywhere today.”

Ignis was silent, his lips a thin line. Gladio pulled out his phone and sent a quick “taking Ignis to the ER” to Noct and then they were on their way -- but slowly, setting a pace that allowed Ignis to walk without gasping.

They had just entered the hospital when Gladio's phone erupted with notifications, and then started to ring. He silenced it without looking at it, and stood, a solid presence, while Ignis told the registrar that he had previously been diagnosed with deep-vein thrombosis and was here with shortness of breath and chest pain, and then… 

And then, the registrar pushed a button on her desk, and invited Ignis to sit. And suddenly there was a tech wheeling a blood pressure machine over, wrapping it around Ignis's upper arm while the registrar asked more questions. The machine whirred and pumped and displayed an alarmingly high reading.

The registrar completed the paperwork faster than expected. By the time they were wrapping a hospital tag around Ignis’s wrist, an orderly was already calling his name. Gladio eyed the waiting room’s handful of bored-looking patients as they walked past into the ER proper. “They're getting us back pretty fast,” he said. “I'm not sure that makes me feel better about this.”

Ignis just hummed, his eyes focused in front of him, his breathing heavy but measured. He paused when he reached the door the orderly held open for him.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Gladio asked. 

“Maybe… wait for Noct. This will likely take some time, and I…” he tapered off.

Gladio nodded. “Keep me posted,” he said. Ignis nodded and followed the orderly through the door. Then Gladio turned back to the waiting room. He sat heavily in a plush vinyl chair in one corner and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through several texts of Noct swearing, and some of Prompto asking in different ways what they should do.

He dialed Noct and put the phone to his ear. It only rang once before Noct answered and said  _ “Tell me what happened,”  _ in a strained voice.

“Ignis is getting treated right now, and--”

_ “Is he hurt?” _

“No, but he's not well. It's probably related to the blood clots.”

Then Noct was yelling obscenities in his ear. He gave it a minute, then said “Calm down, Noct.”

_ “Calm down?? What the actual--” _

“I mean it. We all need to be able to think straight, so calm down and get yourselves over here. We need to figure some things out, but we're gonna be waiting a while, so there will be time to think it through.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. Then Noct took a shaky breath.  _ “Yeah. Okay. We’ll be right there.” _ The call disconnected. 

Gladio let out a sigh, and ran both hands through his hair. Then he took up his phone again and typed out a message to Iris.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Not five minutes later, Noct and Prompto entered at a jog, breathlessly scanned the waiting room and hurried over to the corner where Gladio sat.

“Heard anything?” Noct said, his face tense with urgency.

Gladio shook his head.

“What happened?” Noct demanded again.

Gladio looked at him a moment, then explained how Ignis had texted, how he’d found him. “He told me last night that if he got short of breath, he needed to go to the ER right away.”

“Why?”

Gladio hesitated again. “Blood clots in the leg sometimes have the pesky habit of breaking away and traveling somewhere else in the body,” he said finally. “Like the lungs.”

“Wait,” Prompto said. “Aren’t clots in the lungs… like… You know how you hear about journalists who travel a lot and suddenly drop dead… Isn’t that what they get?”

Gladio nodded. “He said he was taking aspirin, but he was supposed to be on real blood thinners. He told me last night that he didn’t get them, because of the risk of bleeding out if he gets injured.”

Noct paled. Prompto slumped into a chair and groaned.

Noct clenched his fists. “If he gets through this I’m gonna strangle him,” he said.

Gladio grunted. “It’ll take more brain power than _we_ have to get him to take care of himself first… I’ve been trying for--”

Gladio’s phone chimed.

Iggy [9:52] >> They’re taking me in for a CT scan  
Gladio [9:53] >> and then?  
Iggy [9:54] >> If it is a pulmonary embolism, I'll be admitted.  
Gladio [9:54] >> ok keep us posted

Gladio lowered his phone. Noct was watching, arms folded. “Well?” Noct said.

“They're taking him for a CT scan, and then…” He shrugged.

Then they waited.

* * *

The CT scan indeed confirmed: Ignis had little clots scattered throughout his lungs. Little ones were better than a massive one blocking everything, but it was still not good.

Gladio got the text as soon as Ignis was admitted and had a room number. The three of them -- Gladio, Noct, and Prompto -- had spent far too long in the waiting room, alternately whispering, pacing, and (in Prompto's case) nervously picking at holes in the vinyl chairs. When they finally all filed into Ignis’s room, they were relieved and pensive.

Ignis in a hospital bed -- legs elevated, monitor wires attached to his chest and an IV drip giving him medicine -- was so different from everyday, cool, collected Ignis. His hair was mussed, and his face was pale with fatigue and full of impatience.

“This is humiliating,” he said between deep breaths. He pinched at the hospital gown. He only stopped pinching to hide a yawn.

“And I'm sure you're planning to make sure it never happens again,” Gladio said with a smirk.

Ignis glared at him.

“So how long did you sit on that crate before you texted me?” Gladio asked.

Ignis hesitated and looked away. “I hoped it was just a spell that would pass and I would be fine,” he said at last.

Gladio snorted.

“But how are you feeling now?” Prompto asked.

“My chest hurts,” Ignis said, smoothing the fabric where he'd been picking. “My leg still aches. And anytime I have to stand or move anywhere, I start gasping.”

Noct landed with a thump in a chair by the bed. “So what now?”

“Now?”

“I mean… how long are they keeping you here?”

“It looks like a day or two, certainly overnight,” Ignis said, “while they conduct some tests to make sure my heart is not under too much of a strain. They have me on some heavy blood thinners--” he gestured to the IV “--that should stabilize the clot in my leg and keep more pieces from breaking off. But I'll have to continue taking the oral kind for months.” The curl of his lip expressed what he thought of that. Then he yawned again.

Prompto chuckled. “You tired?”

Ignis sighed. “No,” he said, “it's just the body's natural response to not getting enough oxygen. They aren't even working.” He yawned again, so wide his jaw clicked -- then glared daggers at Prompto’s louder chuckles. “I'm so glad you think this is funny,” he said in a dry tone.

Prompto waved his hands back and forth. “No, nonono, of course not.” He stopped laughing, but his eyes still crinkled with mirth.

Ignis looked at Noct. The prince sat very still in his chair, his arms wrapped around himself. “Highness,” Ignis said, “I -- I’m so sorry. This is going to complicate everything, and I--”

“No, Ignis, its--” Noct started to say, then stopped. “I’m just glad you’re… getting the help you need.”

“I’ll get us set up at the Leville again for a few more days,” Gladio said. “You want me to bring you anything?”

“My luggage, if you please,” Ignis said. “And something to read, if you don’t mind; it’s…”

“Boring as all get out?” Prompto helpfully supplied.

“Well, their selection of movies is not particularly to my taste, and…”

“Most of the broadcast TV stations were centered in Insomnia,” Gladio murmured. They all glanced at Noct, whose hands curled into fists. Gladio looked back to Ignis. “I’ll bring whatever you need. Do you want one of us to stay here with you?”

“I’ll stay,” Noct said, in a tone that would brook no refusal.

“You want anything?” Prompto asked.

Noct eyed him. “My bag and a cheeseburger.”

Ignis snorted.

* * *

Gladio and Prompto pulled all their luggage back out of the Regalia, and secured a room at the Leville again. Iris and Monica had yet to leave town, so Iris joined them to commiserate about Ignis’s condition. It comforted everyone to have her near. She even came with Gladio to deliver Ignis’s things, and a bag for Noct. He wouldn’t be allowed to sleep at the hospital, but wanted to spend most of the day there anyway.

“I thought I asked for a cheeseburger,” Noct said when Iris handed him his bag.

“Sorry!” Iris said cheerfully. “Gladdy wouldn’t let me get you one.”

“If you want food, there’s a cafeteria downstairs,” Gladio said with a smirk.

Noct groaned.

“It wouldn’t be fair to Ignis, Princess; he’s stuck with hospital food.”

“I could share.”

“No thank you, Highness,” Ignis said, his lips curled with distaste.

* * *

The hospital conducted a lot of tests that day.

Noct sat by while Ignis got poked and prodded, scanned with machines, and monitored in general. Ignis bore it with stoic resignation.

When he wasn’t being pestered by hospital staff, Ignis tried to occupy himself, but clearly lacked his standard focus. He scanned through one of Gladio’s trashy books in five minutes and tossed it aside in disgust. Noct took pity on him and pulled out a couple Lucian classics that he’d stashed in the Armiger years ago (some time during high school, likely) and mostly forgotten he had. Ignis murmured his thanks, but it was soon apparent that he couldn’t actually focus on reading. He got through maybe one turn of a page before his arm drooped and he put the book away. Noct tried to get him to play King’s Knight, but Ignis demurred.

Simply walking to the lavatory was enough to quicken his breathing. And having to unplug all his wires from the monitors was an annoyance, even with Noct’s help.

Ignis ended up sleeping a lot. Every time he woke, he apologized. Every time, Noct shrugged it off.

When they brought Ignis food at dinnertime, Noct excused himself to visit the cafeteria, but he brought his food back up with him and ate in Ignis’s room. A nurse came in after the dinner hour to send Noct away. Before he left, Noct set a hand on Ignis’s arm and gave him a gentle squeeze and a half-smile. “Get better, alright?” he said.

“I’ll do my best, Highness,” Ignis said. He sounded exhausted. Noct turned to leave, but looked back from the doorway. Ignis looked pale, his hair feathered across his forehead instead of styled up. He’d set his glasses aside long ago, as soon as reading had proven too much for him. His cheekbones were much more pronounced without the glasses to hide behind. But mostly he looked bone weary.

“G’night,” Noct said softly.

Ignis didn’t respond.

* * *

Satisfied with the results of all the tests, the hospital released Ignis to his friends the next morning. He walked away with a month’s supply of prescription medicine -- thankfully one that did not require blood tests and dosage adjustments, since that would complicate their travel. Their return to the Leville was slow. It didn’t take long for Ignis to begin struggling. His breathing grew heavier and his steps slower the farther they went. He leaned more and more on Gladio. They stopped several times for him to sit. By the time they made it to the hotel, he was done. He sat on a couch in the lobby waiting for his heart to stop racing and his breathing to slow.

“Think you can make it up the stairs?” Gladio asked.

“If they had… say, an elevator… I would appreciate it,” Ignis said.

There _was_ one, tucked into a back corner of the lobby. Ignis was both grateful and embarrassed to have to use it. When Gladio unlocked their room, Ignis wobbled straight towards the nearest bed. He toed his shoes off, adjusted some pillows to elevate his legs, and then… just lay there, limp, his chest heaving.

The other three looked at him wordlessly, then at each other. Gladio jerked his head toward the balcony, and the other two followed him out; he closed the shutters behind him to give Ignis at least a little quiet. Then he faced the other two and folded his arms, his leather jacket creaking. “Okay, so… he’s going to need a lot of rest, and his body ain’t gonna let him do much for probably the next couple weeks. At least.”

“What are we going to do in the meantime?” Prompto asked, sounding anxious.

“Well, one of us should probably stick around here, and the other two of us should…”

“Take some hunts, or something?” Noct offered.

“They’ll have to be hunts two of us can take alone,” Gladio said.

“Maybe Holly has some more errands we can run for the power plant,” Prompto said.

“We’ll have to stick close to Lestallum for now,” Gladio said. “I doubt Iggy will want to travel far. Or be able to, for a while. And camping probably won’t be too comfortable for him.”

“We might be able to get as far as Meldacio…” Noct said.

“Yeah,” Prompto said, “but we won’t want to do anything that’s going to get us stuck somewhere overnight.” He bit his lower lip.

“Staying at the hotel every night’s gonna add up,” Gladio said. He unfolded his arms and leaned back against the balcony railing. “We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Prompto looked thoughtful for a moment and then held up a finger. “One question,” he said. “Who’s going to be in charge of food?”

They all looked at each other, and then back toward Ignis.

“I’m fine with Cup Noodles,” Gladio said.

“Betcha Ignis won’t be,” Prompto said with a half-grin.

“Hey,” Noct said. “This town is full of great food.”

“Yeah,” Gladio said, “but eating out all the time costs gil. We’ll have to do more hunts to pay for it.”

They were all silent for a moment. Then Noct sighed. “I guess we’ll just have to learn how to cook.”

Gladio chuckled. “We'll take turns,” he said. “Serves us all right, for getting complacent. I have a feeling that we'll appreciate Ignis's cooking even more once this is over.”

“I heard that,” Ignis called from inside, “and I won't forget it.”

Prompto nearly fell over in a fit of giggles.

“Gladio,” Noct hissed, “you need to learn to keep your voice down.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reblog writing stuff on tumblr [@avianscribe](https://avianscribe.tumblr.com/)...!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the guys hang around Lestallum, waiting for Ignis to improve… and they all have some heart-to-hearts.

They stayed in Lestallum for two weeks.

Iris and Monica left the day Ignis was released, much to everyone’s regret. Prompto used every ounce of irresistible charisma he had to convince Iris to stay and help with food, but their plans were set. Monica was anxious to get back to Cape Caem with their supplies, and Iris didn’t want her to have to travel alone. She apologized profusely as they left. She even gave Ignis an extra hug, which he bore with a look of longsuffering.

Ignis kept to the hotel room. He didn’t have the stamina for anything else. The others tiptoed around him as if he could shatter at any moment. And every time Ignis took a deep breath (which was often), Noct gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, tension showing in the set of his shoulders and the line of his back.

Noct, Prompto, and Gladio had already decided that they would start pairing off the next day for small hunts within a two-hour drive. Whichever of them stayed behind would take care of dinner, under Ignis’s tutelage. At least, as much as Ignis could manage.

The day after Ignis’s release, Prompto stayed with him while Gladio and Noct took a simple voretooth-slaying hunt. Gladio and Noct returned to a hotel room that smelled of burning. Ignis, curled in bed facing the wall, barely acknowledged them when they entered. Prompto stood at the sink in the hotel room’s kitchenette, meekly scrubbing blackened rice from the bottom of a saucepan. They ate Cup Noodles that night.

Noct offered to help Prompto clean up afterward. Prompto had stared off into space all through dinner, and when Noct nudged his shoulder, he started and gaped at him with wide eyes. Then he shuddered and accepted with a shaky laugh. There wasn’t much to clean up from dinner, but there were traces of Prompto’s attempt at cooking -- mangled Leidan peppers and a couple burned daggerquill breasts, remnants of whatever it was Ignis had tried to teach Prompto to cook.

Prompto set to with quiet determination, taking up a trash bin and tossing in the burned food and discarded shrink wrap and packaging from the cup noodles. Noct side-eyed him, while soaking a cloth under the tap and wringing it out. “So,” he says, “how’d the day go?”

The look Prompto shot at him was at once incredulous and glum. “What does it look like?” he said. “I totally stank it up. And Ignis…” He sighed.

Noct glanced toward the kitchenette doorway as he started wiping down the counter. “He looked worn out.”

“It’s worse than that,” Prompto said, his voice wobbly. “He couldn’t even _talk_ for very long before he was just… gasping. I mean…” He set down the trash bin and looked at Noct, his eyes watery. “This is Ignis we’re talking about, right? I’ve…” His voice wavered. “I’ve never seen him like this.”

Noct stopped wiping the counter and leaned on it, clenching a fist around the dishcloth.

“Noct, I…” Prompto started, then took a breath. “I laughed at him yesterday. For yawning. I had no idea…” The tears that had been threatening finally spilled over. He wiped at one cheek and then the next with a gloved hand. “Sorry,” he said. “I knew it was serious, but I had no idea how bad it was. I feel so awful. He must think I’m...” He trailed off, his face a mask of misery.

Noct dropped the cloth on the counter and put a hand on Prompto’s shoulder. He gave it a squeeze, and then leaned back against the kitchen counter, arms folded. Prompto leaned next to him, their shoulders just touching.

“It wasn’t until I watched him today that it sunk in,” Prompto said, when he found his voice again. “I… I made him a sandwich for lunch, because he couldn’t stand in the kitchen long enough to do it himself. And every time he stood up to walk to the bathroom, he barely made it back to the bed.” Prompto gestured around the kitchen. “And look what I did here. I totally messed everything up.”

Noct’s mouth, which had been a grim line, quirked a little. “I think you made Gladio happy,” he said.

Prompto gave a rueful snort. “That’s one of us, I guess.”

Noct sighed. “We’ll…” he started, then paused. “We’ll make sure he gets better. Alright?”

Prompto nodded, his red-rimmed eyes on the floor. Noct patted his shoulder again. When Prompto had composed himself at last, they finished cleaning the kitchen together. Then they returned to the other room and lounged on their bed playing King’s Knight until Gladio pestered them to get ready for sleep. Ignis was long asleep already.

 

* * *

 

In the wee hours of the morning, Gladio stirred and sat up. Even in boxers alone, he was damp with sweat in the sweltering Lestallum night. He leaned over a little to listen to Ignis’s even breathing, then glanced to the other bed. He scowled at the single lump there.

Beyond the shutters to the balcony, Noct leaned on his elbows against the balustrade and looked out over the plaza. He didn’t seem to care that he was out there in only a t-shirt and boxers. Careful not to disturb Ignis, Gladio slipped from his bed and stepped softly, wiping sleep from his eyes, to join the prince. “Hey,” he said, his voice low.

“Hey,” Noct answered.

“Can’t sleep? You okay?”

Noct didn’t answer.

Gladio slumped against the railing next to Noct and scanned the plaza. Clusters of people wandered around the fountain, even at this time of night. “Aside from swearing at me over the phone, you seem to be handling all this pretty well,” he said.

Noct took a shuddering breath.

Gladio looked at him. “Or maybe not,” he murmured.

“It’s my fault, Gladio…” Noct said. “If I didn’t… He wouldn’t…”

“Hold up,” Gladio said. “It’s not your fault Ignis is an idiot who doesn’t know when to ask for help.”

“If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t be driving half-way across Eos,” Noct hissed. He clenched his fists. “I’m putting all of you in danger with everything I do.”

“Noct…” Gladio exhaled. “We all _chose_ to be here. You don’t get to take the blame for that. And Ignis is a grown man. He can make his own decisions. We’ve all made a few dumb ones. Sitting in a car for hours on end without a break is only _one_ of them. But no one can take the blame for what happened here. Least of all you.”

Noct lowered his head until his hair covered his eyes.

“I feel like we almost lost him,” he whispered. “And I… I don’t know what I would do without him.”

“I think we all feel that way,” Gladio said, and sighed heavily. He put a hand on Noct’s shoulder, and Noct leaned into it.

“You guys enjoying the night air?”

Gladio took his hand away and they both turned to see Prompto standing in the doorway in chocobo boxers and a light tank top, rubbing his eyes. His hair was mashed from sleep and fanned out in all directions, waving in the warm night breeze.

“Sorry,” Noct said. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Who says you did?” Prompto said through a yawn. “Got up to pee. Just noticed you guys were out here.”

“Yeah, well,” Gladio said, trying to keep his voice low. “We should all try to get more rest, so we can do what needs doing tomorrow.”

“It _is_ tomorrow,” Prompto said, and then pushed Noct’s shoulder with a fist. “You doing okay, buddy?”

“Yeah,” Noct said softly. “Yeah, I’ll be okay.”

“Great. Bathroom, then goin’ back to bed.” Prompto hid another yawn and wandered away.

Gladio looked pointedly at Noct. “Get some rest. We all need it so we can make sure Ignis takes care of himself, right?”

Noct nodded. “Yeah,” he said. Then he slipped past Gladio into the room and curled up on the bed again.

Gladio stood on the balcony for a few more minutes -- long enough for Prompto to climb back into bed too -- and then returned to his own bed.

He stared into the dark for a long time. He wasn’t the only one.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Noct went with Prompto to find a hunt, and Gladio took his scheduled turn in the kitchenette. Ignis grumbled that it was easier, faster, and _better_ if he just did all the cooking himself. Then he grumbled about not being able to stand for five minutes together. He tried to demonstrate his preferred method of chopping an onion. After three passes with the knife, he had to hand it over to Gladio. He staggered to one of the room's stuffed chairs and sagged into it, leaning his head back and taking deep, measured breaths.

Gladio eyed him from the kitchenette, and clenched his hand around the knife's handle. Then he finished roughly chopping the onion (probably not Ignis’s way) and set it aside.

He strode slowly into the other room and took the chair next to Ignis. He leaned back and clasped his hands behind his head.

They sat in silence for a moment, Ignis's deep breaths the only sound. Then Ignis let out a mirthless chuckle.

“What?” Gladio said.

“You just don't think,” Ignis said bitterly, “about how much energy you use in everyday activities, until you have no energy to use at all.”

Gladio looked at him.

“It's all I can do to get dressed in the morning,” Ignis continued. “I can't even brush my teeth without getting winded. I can’t stand long enough to make a sandwich. _Taking a shower_ is hard. I can't… I can't…” His breath hitched. He rubbed both hands over his face and then left them there, palms pressed into his eyes.

Gladio said nothing.

“What use am I to Noct like this?” Ignis whispered.

“Hold it right there,” Gladio said. “You say that like you’re not allowed to get sick.”

“This isn’t just _sick_ , Gladio, It’s _practically incapacitated._ ”

“But it’s temporary, right?”

“It’s _weeks_ . _Months,_ maybe. We don’t have time for this. _Noct_ doesn’t have time for this.”

Gladio sighed. “Noct won’t want to leave you behind.”

Ignis said nothing for a moment, then whispered, “Maybe he should.”

Gladio inhaled slowly. “That… is for Noct to decide. But seriously, Iggy… We won’t just leave you anywhere unless we’re sure you’re okay. And you know better than to get in over your head, right? If we have to, we could set you up at camp while we do what needs doing, until you’re well enough to join us again.”

Ignis’s breath hitched again. His lips curled open in a grimace and he gritted his teeth. His head still rested on the back of the chair, his hands still hid his eyes... but tears made wet tracks from under his palms down the sides of his face.

Gladio reached over and rested a hand on Ignis’s shoulder. “We’ll get through this,” he said.

Despite his confident words, Gladio’s face was drawn with worry -- but Ignis didn’t see.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I had originally planned for 8 chapters, but another chapter's worth of content slipped in. Whoops!
> 
> I'm on tumblr [@avianscribe](http://avianscribe.tumblr.com)!


	6. Chapter 6

A week later, Ignis had a follow-up appointment at the clinic. It was his first outing since falling ill, and the walk to and from the clinic nearly did him in. He spent the rest of the afternoon in bed. But now he had compression stockings to keep blood from pooling in his legs on their drives, and he had an exercise routine to help him build up stamina until he could run his Crownsguard forms again.

The routine began with a set of basic breathing exercises. Simple, short, and for the first few days, all Ignis could manage. He immediately started running them as often as he could. His companions would find him standing, hands on his belly, taking deep breaths in and holding them, then letting them out slowly. It looked very peaceful. The only hint otherwise was the set of his jaw and his agitation when his weary body forced him to stop. Still, after a few days, his stamina had improved enough that he was able to add some of the other basic movement exercises as well. They all let out a collective sigh of relief to see him improving -- but they also knew he was in no condition whatsoever for combat.

At the end of two weeks, everyone was more than ready to leave the hotel. 

Noct was a vortex of riled gloom. The longer they stayed, the less civil he became -- especially to Gladio. Noct balked when Gladio insisted on approving every hunt, to make sure it wasn’t “too much” for Noct to take on without his Shield. On days he stayed with Ignis, he was helpful but withdrawn. Every time he looked at his ailing advisor, his face darkened and he clenched his fists. When he wasn’t helping Ignis or hunting, he kept slipping away to wander the streets of Lestallum.

He was treading on Gladio’s thin patience. 

As determined as Gladio had been at the beginning to be the rock everyone could rely on, he still knew they had a duty to fulfill, and this delay was a strain. He was torn between his role as the prince’s Shield and his desire to help Ignis. Gladio was reluctant enough to let Noct and Prompto take hunts on their own; Noct’s sneaking away was completely irresponsible. The whole situation made him short-tempered, and Noct’s sullen brooding only made it worse. He pulled Noct aside more than once to call him to task and each time their conversation ended just shy of a shouting match.

As if to make up for his response to Noct, Gladio was excessively supportive of Ignis. He complimented every effort Ignis made, celebrated every slight improvement, and downplayed every seeming setback. And he never,  _ ever _ snapped at him.

Prompto plastered on his usual chipper facade, but there were cracks in it. His attempts to joke a smile out of Noct mostly failed. He tried to be lively company for Ignis, but was not permitted near the stove again, a painful reminder of his failure the first day. He was walking a tightrope between Noct’s attitude and Gladio’s temper. In the end, he was a miserable ball of anxiety. And trying to hide it, but failing.

Everyone was tired of looking at the hotel’s four walls, but Ignis especially was tired of laying down, tired of sitting, tired of getting up once an hour to pace the room, and tired of  _ so little activity _ being enough to wear him out. He was tired of his companions walking on eggshells around him, not knowing what to say to him. Noct’s silence, Prompto’s strained cheerfulness, and Gladio’s forced positivity were all cloying in their own way. 

Not that Ignis ever complained -- especially where Noct could hear -- but his distress was evident in his nervous fidgeting. He picked at his pants legs, drummed his fingers on whatever surface they rested on, and audibly ‘tsk’-ed more and more often the longer he was confined to the room.

But two weeks finally passed. Ignis was improving, albeit slowly. Cid would be done with the boat’s repairs soon, and Altissia wouldn’t wait. They had to find all the Royal Arms that they could, regardless of Ignis’s health.

When he finally decided they couldn’t put it off anymore, Gladio pulled out his phone to give Dave and the hunters a call. Then he headed out early the next morning to meet up with some local hunters and get more info on the Myrlwood, since it was the closest to Lestallum of their potential targets.

He returned to the hotel mid-morning with a Vesperpool area map in hand. Ignis, who had gotten up and dressed early, was laying down again, an arm over his face. Prompto stood at the mirror poking at his freshly-gelled hair, and Noct slumped in a chair, swiping at his phone. 

Gladio slapped the folded map down on the table. Prompto yelped, Ignis lifted his arm and looked up, and Noct… did not react at all. 

“Time to make some plans,” Gladio said. “We can’t hang around here anymore; we’ll have Cid breathing down our necks any day now, and we still have Royal Arms to find.”

Noct looked up from his phone and breathed “Yes,  _ sir. _ ” 

Gladio scowled at him but ignored the jibe. He unfolded the map and laid it out over the table. Ignis pushed himself up and moved to the end of the bed, then sat with legs crossed and arms folded. Prompto joined him, elbows on his knees to look at the map. Noct put his phone in his pocket, but didn’t move. 

Gladio poked at the map. “So we’ll start with the Myrlwood, right?” He looked up at Ignis, whose eyes were focused on the map. Ignis gave a slight nod, and Gladio took that as confirmation. “Looks like we can set up camp by the Vesperpool and head to the Myrlwood from there,” he said, tracing the line of the trail along the edge of the pool with a finger.

“That’s not too far,” Prompto said. “We’d probably want to go on chocobo back.” He sounded like the thought pleased him. “Oh, and look! There’s a haven inside the wood, too.” He poked at a symbol deep in the green.

“The hunters said the wood has some nasties roaming it, but they didn’t look too bad… though there are some rumors about something bigger lurking deeper in.” 

“Probably right in front of the tomb, with our luck…” Prompto said.

There was a brief quiet. Then Noct gave a quick intake of breath.

“What about Ignis?” he said.

“Noct--” Ignis started.

Noct straightened. “No, Ignis, I want to know. What are you going to do while we’re all crawling through the wood?” His piercing blue eyes were fixed on his advisor, his face tense.

“He’ll wait for us by the Vesperpool,” Gladio said firmly. “That haven’s not far from parking, so he won’t have to walk far to get there.” 

Ignis made his “tsk” sound. He unfolded his arms and leaned his elbows on his knees.

“You have something to say about that?” Gladio growled, squaring his shoulders.

Ignis did not raise his eyes from the floor. “You know I don’t like this, Gladio,” he said.

“Well…” Gladio leaned back, folding his arms. “The other option is leaving you here in Lestallum.”

“I like that even less.” Ignis sighed and shook his head.

“Then it’s settled,” Gladio said, folding up the map.

Noct muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “says you” but everyone chose to ignore it. 

And so they packed and checked out, then grabbed a quick lunch and piled into the Regalia at last.

Ignis took front passenger, and Noct drove. Ignis grew tired in the first five minutes, his breathing growing harsh. “Do you realize,” he said finally, between breaths, “how much you use your abdominal muscles to brace yourself while riding in a car?” He then reclined his seat back almost into Gladio’s lap. At their first rest stop, Gladio and Prompto wordlessly traded places.

The usual four-hour drive to the Meldacio Hunter HQ took quite a bit longer, because of their forced rest stops. Ignis (being Ignis) set a timer on his phone to let them know when they needed to pull over -- but because of how quickly he tired, he often called a break before the timer went off. At each stop, Ignis would get out, walk around the car a couple times, then lie flat across the back seat of the Regalia with his legs up. The others watched him through the corner of their eyes while they stretched, walked, and (in Prompto’s case) took pictures of the foothills.

When they finally pulled into Meldacio, the sun was beginning to set. Gladio reserved the caravan, and as soon as he unlocked it and pushed the door open, Ignis stumbled in and collapsed on one of the beds. The other three unpacked what they needed. When Prompto brought up food, Noct put his foot down and demanded take-out from the eatery. He stomped off by himself to get it.

By the time Noct climbed into the caravan with food, Ignis was already asleep.

The other three ate in silence, and slid Ignis’s portion into the mini-fridge in the caravan’s kitchen. When Gladio tried to bring up what the next day would bring, Noct stood and chucked his take-out box into the trash. “Shower,” he said, and grabbed his toiletries and a change of clothes, and stomped off to the bathroom. 

The shower ran for a long time.

 

* * *

 

They all slept in the next morning, because Ignis had fallen asleep before setting an alarm. No one complained. Ignis ate his uneaten dinner for breakfast while the others scavenged fruit and protein bars from their stores. It was close to lunchtime before they packed up and headed towards the Vesperpool. 

Ignis’s mood grew worse the closer they got. It showed in his increasingly clipped speech and pursed lips. By the time Noct parked near the haven and he, Gladio and Prompto all piled out, Ignis was audibly grinding his teeth. He had to lay down in the car while everyone else set up camp, which didn’t improve things. By the time camp was set up and Prompto came down to get him, he was positively stiff with tension.

Prompto walked with him up to the haven. Ignis had to pause and lean on Prompto’s arm more than once. When they got to the haven, Gladio and Noct were already sitting, stiffly munching on cold-cut sandwiches, ignoring the map that was unfolded between them. Ignis scowled at them and sat in the farthest chair. Prompto brought him a plate with a sandwich. He picked at it instead of eating.

“So, ah,” Prompto said, after taking a bite of his own sandwich. “We were just deciding whether we should leave for the Myrlwood now, or wait until morning. We could probably make it to the haven inside before dark. But…”

“But I still have to stay here,” Ignis finished for him, “and that leaves me alone overnight.” He exhaled and leaned back hard in the chair. “I am not made of spun glass.” He hesitated, as though he wanted to say more.

Noct winced. “Ignis--”

“You must do what you must, Highness. And I will do… what I can.”

“If we go in the morning--”

“It will be a longer and more tiring trip, and whatever you face, you will face unrested,” Ignis said. “It makes more sense to leave now, and have a plan to rest up in case you run into more trouble than you’re prepared for.”

Noct’s mouth was a thin line, and a little crease formed between his brows. “I… I want you to come with us.” He ignored Gladio’s irritated huff. “Do you think…”

“That I can cling to a running chocobo for miles when I get out of breath from sitting reclined in a car?” Ignis snorted. “I think not, Your Highness. You go. Just… return safe, as soon as you can. I wish…” He sighed. “I wish I could stay by your side.”

Noct scowled at his plate. “Me too,” he said.

Gladio grunted. “Well, that’s decided then,” he said, and stood. He took Noct and Prompto’s empty plates to wash them. 

Noct sat stony-faced until Gladio nudged his shoulder and suggested he summon their chocobos. He flinched angrily away from Gladio’s touch. Then he stood and gave Ignis a dark look before hopping down from the haven and heading to the chocobo rental. 

Ignis set his plate down on the ground by his chair, his sandwich uneaten, and folded his arms, his expression grim. 

Prompto hopped down after Noct. Gladio moved to follow, but turned to Ignis first and gestured to the tent. “Everything’s set up, so you shouldn’t have to do anything,” he said.

“Splendid,” Ignis said, though his tone implied it was anything but. “I get to have a tent all to myself. What will all of  _ you  _ do for shelter?”

“I enjoy sleeping under the stars now and then,” Gladio said with a half-smile. 

“Will Noct feel the same?” 

“It will be good for him.” Gladio turned to go. 

“Gladio.”

He turned and looked back at Ignis.

“Don’t be too hard on him,” Ignis said. “This… has been hard on all of us.”

Gladio snorted. “As long as he gets his head out of his ass,” he said. 

Then he hopped down from the haven too, and Ignis was alone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not pictured: Noct summoning the chocobos, and Ignis’s mount milling about because Her Person is Not There -- and then going to find him in the haven, and plucking at his sleeve with her beak to try to get him to come along, until he waves her off. This does not improve his mood, unfortunately...
> 
> I reblog writing stuff on Tumblr [@avianscribe](http://avianscribe.tumblr.com)!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis does too much and gets in trouble for it...

The Myrlwood was a morass full of sneaking mandrakes, stinging insects, and damp. Then it started to drizzle. They reached the haven with enough daylight to set up camp, but Noct swore loudly when he remembered where their tent was and why. Even though Gladio did his best to create a lean-to shelter out of a tarp next to the rocky wall by the haven, it didn’t keep the wind from blowing. They all woke damp and grumpy and missing Ignis’s hot breakfasts. Everything that came out of their mouths was snippy. They collectively decided to speak as little as possible to avoid saying things they'd regret later. Noct was in too sour a mood even to fish at the pond.

There was indeed a tomb in the wood. The Treant in front of it was beastly. Ignis’s absence complicated everything. They counted on him (maybe too much) for backup with his knives, with his analysis of their target’s weaknesses, and especially with his first aid. They felt his loss with every blow the Treant landed on them.

Gladio felled it at last with a final swing of his greatsword. The three of them stood over it, breathing heavily, all of them bleeding from numerous small wounds. Noct handed out some potions, then wordlessly lurched over to the tomb’s door and unlocked it. He received the Star of the Rogue in a shower of crystalline sparks.

They trudged back to the haven and had a brief rest, then filed out of the wood as quickly as they could. As soon as they were out, Noct summoned their chocobos. The sun was starting to set on them by the time they reached a rocky outcropping overlooking the Vesperpool. Noct had just enough of a signal to send a quick text to Ignis. He didn’t wait for a reply. 

They arrived at camp in fading twilight and spurred their chocobos up the rocky incline. Ignis’s own chocobo had apparently stayed at the haven, and greeted them with an imperious “Kweh!” It was curled into a pile of fuschia feathers on the ground by one of the chairs, and Ignis...

Ignis’s legs were propped up on the camp chair, but the rest of him disappeared under the bird’s fuschia fluff. Noct paused in mid dismount and swore. Then he nearly fell off his mount and stumbled over to Ignis. He pushed the chocobo’s wing out of the way. Beneath the wing Ignis lay with one arm draped over his face and the other over his stomach. His eyes were closed, and his chest was heaving as he tried to get breath.

Prompto took the chocobo by its bridle, encouraged it to its feet, and settled it with their other mounts.

Noct dropped to his knees by Ignis’s head. “What happened??” he asked urgently. “Was it suffocating you?”

Ignis shook his head, his eyes still closed.

Gladio glanced around at the partially-chopped head of lettuce on a cutting board next to a knife, and several other vegetables and implements scattered about the cooking station. Then he turned to Ignis.

“You weren’t trying to cook, were you?” he asked.

“Nice to see you, too,” Ignis said in a flat tone.

Noct let out a shuddering breath. “How long have you been down here?” he asked.

“Not long,” Ignis said. “When I saw your text I thought maybe I would pull something together so you could eat when you got here.” He pulled his arm away from his face and looked up at Noct. His eyes were wet. “I’m sorry, Highness.”

Noct winced. “Specs… don’t. You have nothing to apologize for.”

“Except maybe for doing stuff you shouldn’t be doing,” Gladio growled.

“It was just a salad.” 

“It was just too much.”

“Gladio, I--”

“You’re supposed to be taking care of yourself so you can get better.” Gladio’s voice steadily grew louder.

Ignis put his arm back over his face and was silent. Noct knelt silently by him, fists clenched against the ground, head bowed. Prompto glanced anxiously between the three of them, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Then his face brightened.

“Stay there, Ignis,” he said, and bounced over (who knew with what energy) to the kitchen station. “We’ll get this. I can do a salad, no sweat.” 

“As long as there’s no cooking involved,” Noct said, getting to his feet.

“Hey!”

Noct and Prompto worked together on what Ignis had started, and though they didn’t joke with each other as much as usual, they at least seemed to relax a little. Gladio dropped into the empty chair nearest Ignis with a heavy sigh. 

“Sorry,” he said softly. “How about I start over? How was your day?” 

“How do you think it was?” Ignis said bitterly. “I’m out here alone in the middle of nowhere… I couldn’t sleep last night, because of all the wildlife noises… I can’t do anything that requires standing for any length of time…And anytime I lay down that blasted chocobo gets the idea that it needs to mother me for reasons I don’t know.” 

Gladio stifled a cough that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. 

“I have no way to occupy myself,” Ignis continued ranting. “And I could barely use my phone for anything. You know what the cell signal is like out here. It’s a miracle Noct’s text even came through. I’m surprised you had any signal at all.”

“We didn’t, until we got out of the woods.”

Ignis was silent a moment. “How… was the wood? Did you find the tomb?”

“Sure did. He has the Star of the Rogue now.”

Ignis breathed a sigh. “And you all made it out unharmed?”

“Nothing a potion couldn’t fix.”

“And you didn’t kill each  _ other _ , either…”

Gladio grunted. “It was a close thing.”

Ignis sighed again. Then, more loudly, “Noct, I was going to grill some daggerquill breasts to go with the salad. Do you think you can manage it?” 

“If I don’t have to do anything fancy to it,” Noct said. 

“Just salt and pepper. Maybe some garlic, but that should go in towards the end. Then slice them when they’re fully cooked.”

“On it!” Prompto said.

“Not you,” Noct said. “You’re not going anywhere  _ near  _ the pan. You can chop the garlic.”

“Hey!”

They dissolved into banter over who would do what. The set of Ignis’s shoulders relaxed.

“Think you can sit up in a chair, instead of lying on the ground?” Gladio asked.

“I should probably stay here for the time being,” Ignis murmured.

From the corner of the haven where the chocobos had roosted together in a feathery pile came a sleepy “kweh”.

 

* * *

 

They slept like the dead, all of them recovering from their sleepless night before. Even Ignis’s occasional deep gasping breaths didn’t disturb anyone.

They drove to the Meldacio Hunter HQ the next morning and then rented the caravan instead of heading out right away. Their next target was the Rock of Ravatogh. Noct and Prompto checked in with the tipster and (with Gladio’s okay) picked what looked like an easy hunt to fill the afternoon, then took off in the Regalia. Gladio and Ignis sat at the little table inside the caravan and pored over their map to plan a route that would give them some rest stops and opportunities for hunts. 

They had to take several breaks -- some so Ignis could get up and move his legs, and others so he could lay down -- but he needed to rest less frequently. They had everything planned out by the evening. Noct and Prompto returned shortly after dark, just a little worse for the wear.

The drive to Ravatogh was long, but having a plan that included stops with hunts helped everyone -- except that Ignis still couldn’t help with hunts, and was cranky about it.

They arrived at their first haven mid-afternoon, and as soon as camp was set up, Ignis shooed everyone else away, even though Prompto had planned to stay with him. Before they were out of sight, Ignis started his exercises. By the time they returned, the sun setting behind them, they couldn’t see Ignis anywhere… but the cooking station had a spread of sandwiches and cut veggies and a simple cream cheese dip.

Noct stared at it and made a strangled noise. 

Gladio stomped over to the tent and poked his head in through the open flap. Ignis was flat on his back inside.

“You overdid it, didn’t you?” Gladio said.

“If you would kindly mind your own business, Gladio, I would appreciate it,” Ignis answered.

Gladio folded his arms across his chest. “This  _ is  _ my business,” he said. “Don’t be dense. Your health is important to Noct, and Noct is my biggest priority. If you’re gonna be stupid, then I’m gonna call you on it. You aren’t supposed to do stuff until you fall over.”

“I  _ didn’t _ fall over, I’ll have you know,” Ignis said.

“If you worked until you couldn’t stand up anymore, it amounts to the same thing.”

“Gladio, I--” 

“Enough of this, Ignis. If we can’t trust you to take care of yourself, one of us will have to stay with you to make  _ sure  _ you do.”

“Gladio!”

“At least let us help you.”

Ignis sighed and covered his face with an arm. “I can hardly stop you, the way I'm feeling,” he said softly. “But… Noct will need both of you on Ravatogh. You will  _ have  _ to leave me alone. And I  _ can’t  _ sit all day doing nothing. It will be the death of me!”

“Too soon, Ignis…”

“I’m being serious, Gladio. I need something to do.”

Gladio sighed and let his arms drop to his sides. “You do all sorts of stuff for us all the time. You’ve done stuff for Noct forever, Ignis -- if anyone deserves a break, it’s you.” 

Ignis lifted his arm from his face again, his eyes bright with desperation. “What am I to Noct if I can’t assist him?”

Then Noct was there, pushing in front of Gladio. “You’re…” Noct’s lower lip quivered. “You can’t mean that. Seriously, Specs…” His voice broke. “You think I only see what you  _ do _ for me? You honestly think that's the only thing I care about?? The only thing I’m thinking about right now is what  _ could  _ have happened… you could have  _ died,  _ Specs. Could have  _ died _ and I wouldn’t have been able to do anything to save you. But right now I can help you get better -- except I can’t do that either, because you won’t take care of your own damn self.  _ Astrals, _ Ignis.”

“Noct--”

“Shut  _ UP!  _ This isn't about what you do for me... Ignis, you're a _brother_ to me. If I were to lose you...  I don’t _care_ about the damn food, okay? I just want you to get better.” Noct bit his lip and glared at Ignis through his tears. Then he stormed away from the tent.

Gladio folded his arms and glowered at Ignis. 

Ignis looked stricken.

“New rule,” Gladio finally said. “Until you can run your full level-two Crownsguard forms without breathing hard, you are not allowed to cook. Or clean, or mend, or do laundry, or  _ any _ of that shit.” 

“But…” Ignis started to protest, but fell silent under the weight of Gladio’s piercing eyes.

“You can’t get better if you keep exhausting yourself. We need  _ you, _ not your cooking.”

They stared at each other for several heartbeats. Ignis looked away first, and sighed. “Very well,” he said softly. “Tell Noct --”

“I ain’t telling him anything. You can tell him yourself, to his face. He needs to hear it from _you_.”

Then Gladio left Ignis in the tent. Ignis lay still for a long time, staring at the canvas top.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignis and I have this in common: We don't know when to stop -- and we think that feeling a little better makes it okay to start our regular activities. GUESS HOW WELL THAT WORKS. At least we both have good friends to tell us when we're being stupid...


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they make it to the Rock of Ravatogh...

When Ignis finally left the tent, it was fully dark.

Prompto had taken over half of the cooking station to clean one of his guns; it lay in pieces on a cloth in front of him while he worked. He barely glanced up when Ignis picked up the last plated sandwich, set carefully out of the way at the other end of the station. Gladio sat by the fire, holding one of his greatswords with the tip jammed into the ground in front of him as he polished it down with a cloth. He met Ignis’s eyes, then nodded to the edge of the haven, where Noct sat staring out into the night with his legs hanging off the edge of the stone.

Ignis walked over to Noct and sat, leaving a space between them. He set his plate down on the stone without taking a bite.

“Noct, I…” Ignis started, then paused. “I apologize,” he finally said.

“For what?” Noct said, not looking at him. His face was carefully blank.

“For making you worry,” Ignis said. “For… getting sick in the first place. I--”

“Nnngh!” Noct growled, and clenched his fists on his knees. “Ignis, if you apologize one more time for getting sick when you couldn’t help it, I will personally drop you in that lake.”

Ignis made an affronted noise. “I could very well have helped it if I’d been more conscientious about--”

“From as high as I can warp.”

“Noct--”

Noct whirled to face him. “Who kept insisting that we keep driving? Me! Who kept complaining about wasting time taking breaks? Gladio! Who kept complaining that we were spending too much money at convenience stores when we stopped?” He sagged a little. “Okay, that might have been you...”

Ignis’s grunt might have been a laugh.

Noct straightened again. “The point is, it wasn’t just you. So you can’t say it was your fault!”

“Highness, I--”

“I _don’t_ accept; you’re apologizing for the wrong thing! Try again!”

Ignis swallowed and opened his mouth again. “I… I apologize… for… doing too much. And for any pain I caused you because of it.”

Noct leaned back, his eyes searching Ignis’s face. “That’s… better.”

“Noct, I never in my life wanted to hurt you, and I feel like a sorry excuse for an advisor for becoming an inconvenience to all of us. I--”

“And I’m a sorry excuse for a prince, if my closest retainer thinks getting sick makes him an _inconvenience_.”

“I--”

“Ignis, just…” Noct sighed and slumped, looking out into the darkness again. “Just get better, okay? We… I… need you.”

Ignis sat very still for some time. “Yes, Highness,” he said at last.

 

* * *

 

 

Late the next day, they pulled up to the little outpost at the foot of the Rock of Ravatogh and immediately rented the caravan. Scaling the mountain could wait for the morning.

Prompto picked up some take-out for all of them from the stand in front of the store. While they ate, Gladio made Ignis promise again not to overdo it while they were gone, and reminded him of all the things he was _not_ to do.

“You’ve taken away everything that keeps me sane,” Ignis complained.

“You’re keeping _us_ sane by promising to take care of yourself,” Noct said, with an angry edge to his voice.

“Yes, Highness,” Ignis said. He sounded dissatisfied.

“If you really _have_ to have something to do, how about run an inventory of our stores? Food, potions and all that.”

“I already _do_ that.”

“Do it again.”

“I can already tell you that we’re short on _everything_.”

“Maybe we should do a hunt or two after we get back,” Gladio said. “We are getting low on funds.”

Ignis glowered, but managed not to say anything about it being his fault.

“Ooh, you could check out the hot springs here!” Prompto said. “They don’t cost much, and I bet they’re relaxing… and you could tell us if they’re worth trying out, since we’ve been in too big a hurry to try them.”

“Terrific. I can enjoy the hot spring, all the while thinking about how you lot are risking your lives on that mountain. Very relaxing.”

“We’ll be fine,” Gladio assured him. “We’ll be more worried about you.”

“What can possibly happen to me when I’m staying in a caravan and lounging in a hot spring? Other than suffering an aneurysm from worry that my king will walk off a cliff while I’m not there to stop him...”

“I appreciate your confidence in me,” Noct grumbled.

“We’ll be fine, Ignis,” Gladio repeated.

Ignis just scowled.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Gladio got up with the sun, and rousted Prompto and Noct out of bed so they could get as far as they could before the heat of the day hit. Ignis fussed over them -- over the paltry amount of curatives they had, over sun and heat protection, over food -- until Gladio finally told him to chill and made him sit down because he was gasping again. Then the three of them piled into the Regalia to drive to the trailhead. Ignis watched them leave from his plastic chair.

For much of the first day, Ignis waited in the shade of the caravan -- scrolling various news feeds, running his inventory of their curatives and food, cataloguing their various accessories and their uses, reading through his recipes for inspiration. (Resisting the desire to try some of them.)

He ran through his basic exercises in the morning, which went well enough that in the early afternoon he tried his level-one Crownsguard forms. That did _not_ go so well. He flagged after a mere five minutes and had to lay down, his chest heaving.

After his body-enforced rest, he did indeed try the hot spring. Briefly. He might have stayed longer if he’d had company. As it was, all he could do was think about the others on the mountain, and what they might be facing. It was not relaxing.

He pulled together a sandwich for his dinner, and was able to remain standing the whole time -- which pleased him enough that he hummed while he cleaned up. He retired to bed as soon as it got dark, for lack of anything else to do -- but with a measure of positivity that his health was improving, albeit slowly.

The next day he started counting down.

He did most of the same things he had done the day before -- including the inventory, just to double-check -- except that this time he kept one eye on the road, watching for the shape of the Regalia returning.

It never came.

As the sun started descending behind the mountain, Ignis sent texts to Gladio and Noct -- even Prompto. No one answered. “Probably no signal,” he muttered to himself. He resisted checking the number of curatives again. There was little he could do, if they ran into trouble.

Sleep was longer coming that night. Ignis tossed and turned and fretted about what was going on on the mountain, helpless to do anything. His occasional urgent need for a gasping, yawn-depth breath didn’t help.

The next morning he was up with the dawn. He sat in his plastic chair and watched the road, repeatedly checking the time on his phone. He tried to distract himself by scanning his news feeds, but it didn’t hold his attention. He checked the inventory again, and found a couple curatives gone -- not enough to be alarming.

Morning came and went. So did the noon hour. Clouds moved in and it started raining. Ignis finally reminded himself to eat around two in the afternoon. Then he checked the inventory. All the potions were gone. Every one.

When had that happened? How long had they been up there with no more curatives? Were they even going to make it back _down_?

Ignis took a deep breath, then another. He scanned the road. He tried texting again. Then he called. No answer. He paced until he couldn't stand anymore. He sat and breathed, deeply and evenly. He polished his glasses. Then he stood and walked unsteadily to the chocobo rental and was about to deposit some gil in it when he looked up and _finally_ saw the silhouette of the Regalia come around the farthest bend in the road.

They were speeding.

Ignis had just enough time to wonder who was driving and why they were going so fast when the car screeched to a halt in front of the gas pumps, and Prompto jumped out of the driver’s seat. “Ignis! We need an elixir, quick!” He yanked the rear passenger door open and leaned inside.

In the car, someone was breathing raggedly, moaning.

Ignis acted quickly, ignoring the instant increase in his breathing. He hurried into the outpost and purchased as many as they had gil for, and made it to Prompto’s side to hand him one before he collapsed to his knees on the wet ground, gasping.

Then there came the tinkling sound of crushed glass as Prompto applied the elixir, and the ragged breathing became more even and relaxed. The moaning stopped.

“What… Happened…?” Ignis asked, when he had breath enough.

“Giant bird,” Gladio said from inside. Prompto backed away. In the Regalia’s back seat, Gladio leaned against the opposite passenger door, holding Noct. His massive arm across Noct’s torso was the only thing holding the prince up; Noct lay draped across the seat, his back to Gladio’s chest, his arms and legs limp, his shirt in tatters -- torn from shoulder to hem and covered in so much blood. Underneath the wrecked shirt, his chest was wrapped in bloodstained bandages. Noct was out cold, his face sallow but peaceful now, which only made the blood all the more shocking. 

Ignis gaped.

“Prompto, help me…” Gladio said, and the two of them maneuvered Noct out of the back seat. Prompto held him up with an arm around his back while Gladio climbed out, and then each of them took one of Noct’s arms over their shoulders. Together they walked him through the rain to the caravan. Ignis staggered to his feet and followed. He opened the caravan door for them, and then -- Prompto going first, and Gladio coming behind -- they managed to lift Noct inside.  

Prompto and Gladio quietly debated what to do next and decided on cleaning up all the blood before putting Noct in a bed. Together they helped him into the caravan’s tiny shower stall and sat him on the floor. Prompto then stripped down to his skivvies and climbed in to help, since he was smaller.

Ignis had the presence of mind to find Noct’s pajamas and hand them to Gladio, who set them on a nearby counter. Then, while the other two worked the prince out of his blood-sodden clothes, Ignis sat down on one of the caravan’s canvas-covered sofas, elbows on knees and head bowed, staring at the floor wet with rain and blood, focusing on breathing. The shower made a soothing white noise until it turned off, and then the only sounds were the patter of rain, Ignis’s breathing, and Gladio and Prompto’s low voices as they towelled Noct down and coordinated him into his clean pajamas.

Between the two of them, Gladio and Prompto managed to get Noct into a bed. Prompto stayed in the bedroom to keep an eye on him. Gladio stuffed Noct’s blood-stained clothes in the bathroom sink to soak in cold water and then joined Ignis on the couch, sitting heavily and leaning his elbows on his knees, mirroring Ignis’s posture.

“How is he?” Ignis asked, without looking up.

“He’ll be fine,” Gladio said, though there was an edge to his voice. “He just needs to sleep off that elixir. He doesn’t have a mark on him now.”

“He definitely did before.”

Gladio winced.

Ignis took a deep breath. “What happened?”

Gladio’s jaw clenched. “A zu. It pounced on us when we came back through the caldera from the tomb.”

“You found the tomb, then?”

“Oh yeah. He has the Mace of the Fierce now.”

Ignis sighed heavily, and his shoulders relaxed a little.

Gladio bowed his head over his hands. “It attacked so fast, I didn’t really see what happened. He was kind of in a hurry to get off the mountain and got ahead of me. It… slashed ‘im down his front.”

“How bad was it?” Ignis asked.

Gladio winced again. “Bad.” He straightened and leaned against the backrest, and stared straight ahead. “Prompto carried him and I fended the bird off while we booked it to the other side of the caldera. There was this… hole, too small for the bird to get through. With a path on the other side.”

“And Noct?”

“We doused him in all the potions we had, but… That bird really clawed him bad.” Gladio’s face twisted. “We bandaged up what was left.”

“And you made it back down.”

“Yeah…” There was an  unspoken “however” in Gladio’s hesitation. "The trip down was definitely faster... It's a good thing we could pretty much slide down."

Ignis exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I should have been there.”

Gladio snorted. “We made it out and we’re fine now,” he said. But his expression was dark and uncertain.

“We are most certainly _not_ fine.” Ignis slumped, and leaned on his knees again. “ _I’m_ not fine. This… this is exactly why I don’t want to be left behind.”

Gladio gave him a sharp look. “We’re not leaving you behind because we want to, Iggy… you couldn’t have made it up the mountain in your condition. And if you’d been there, things might have been worse.”

“But--”

“No buts, Ignis…” Gladio shifted in his seat. “Exhausting yourself would just prolong your recovery, you know that.”

“But Noct…”

“Will be fine.”

“But--”

“We should _all_ go to bed, Iggy, it’s late.”

“Gladio…”

But Gladio stood and busied himself with getting ready for bed and wouldn’t talk again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noct and Ignis are _both_ recovering, and everyone is miserable...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to set chapters to ? because... I keep adding things to my outline. >_> So. I have a plan, and it will be done when it's done. Who's counting, anyway? XD (Me, but that's mostly me watching my draft expand beyond my ability to control it...)

The next day was tense. 

Prompto intercepted Ignis just before he started making coffee and shooed him away from the counter to sit at the caravan’s table. Gladio rose abruptly with the sound of the coffeemaker and only relaxed when he saw Prompto at the machine rather than Ignis. He rubbed his eyes with his palms and trudged off to the bathroom. When he came back out, he pulled out a frying pan and started working on scrambled eggs and toast -- but he still looked weary, and his expression was troubled.

With food smells permeating the caravan, Noct finally woke.

He staggered out of the bedroom and blinked blearily at them all. They stared back. He lurched towards the table and sat across from Ignis. He lay his head down, and only lifted it when Prompto plunked a mug of coffee down by his ear. That gave Gladio a chance to set a heaping plate in front of him. 

Breakfast was very quiet. Gladio was moody and unhappy. Ignis was tense and irritable. Prompto, feeding off of their emotions, was anxious. And Noct… 

Noct was subdued. He looked away whenever Ignis tried to meet his eyes. He wouldn’t look at Gladio at all.  

They rented the caravan for another day, to give Noct time to recover. It was uncomfortable. Gladio barely spoke to Noct. His face was a stormcloud, bushy eyebrows drawn together in a perpetual scowl. Ignis cornered him about it after breakfast, while walking him through laundering Noct’s torn and blood-stained fatigues. Gladio refused to talk. Once he hung Noct’s fatigues from the caravan’s canopy to dry in the sun, he pulled Prompto with him to go find a hunt. Prompto looked back at Ignis in panic, but there was no way for him to escape Gladio’s arm crooked around his neck.

Noct still felt woozy and anemic. The elixir had healed the injury, but he had still lost a lot of blood. Ignis spent much of the morning reminding him to keep up his fluid intake and offered to fix up some boiled eggs for more protein, in spite of Gladio’s cooking prohibition. Noct declined. 

Mid-morning, Ignis attempted his level-one Crownsguard forms again. He managed to progress a little further than he had three days prior. Noct ran through his own routine, keeping half an eye on Ignis. When Ignis had to stop, chest heaving, Noct stopped, too -- whether to help Ignis’s self-image, or because of his own fatigue, he didn’t say.

After their short workout, Noct lay down to nap. Almost as soon as he was asleep, however, he began rolling and moaning. When Ignis placed a hand on his shoulder, he jerked awake, sweaty and gasping.

“Nightmare?” Ignis said.

“I… It got me all over again,” Noct whispered. “I can still feel it, the way my belly sliced right open like… like butter.” 

Ignis’s face blanched. He bit at his lower lip. “Noct, I… am so sorry I wasn’t there. If I could have made a difference, I…” He trailed off.

Noct didn’t chide Ignis this time for the apology; he just shuddered under his hand and clenched the blanket around him more tightly. Ignis sat next to him on the bed and settled an arm around his shoulders and drew him closer. Noct let himself be drawn, until his head rested on Ignis’s collarbone. They sat that way until Noct’s shivering eased.

Once Noct had relaxed, Ignis patted his shoulder. “It’s nearly lunchtime,” he said. “Can I…”

“No,” Noct muttered. “Gladio would have my hide. I’ll make us some sandwiches.” He pushed away from Ignis’s side. 

They both went to the kitchen. Ignis sat at the table, and Noct stood at the small counter, pulling ingredients from the Armiger to make simple sandwiches piled with cheese and cold-cuts. His sandwiches were not as precise as Ignis’s would have been. He applied the dressing with messy swipes and let the larger slices of meat hang over the edges of the bread, but Ignis didn’t say anything. He did insist on adding greens. Noct gave an exaggerated groan, but still pulled out some spinach and sprouts for Ignis’s sandwich. He pointedly left them off his own.

He balked at slicing tomatoes. “I’m not having any, and there’s not room on your sandwich for a whole tomato.” 

“Cut it in wedges, then, and I’ll have it on the side.”

Noct groaned about  _ that _ , even, until Ignis threatened to come do it himself. Then Noct quickly pulled one out and sliced it into rough wedges. At last they sat together, shoulder to shoulder, eating their sandwiches.

Gladio and Prompto returned while they were eating. Gladio stopped in the doorway and scowled when he saw them munching away. Noct waved a hand and said “I made them, don’t worry.” Then Gladio sighed and headed for the bathroom. 

Prompto entered more tentatively, looking worried, but he perked up when he saw the sandwiches. “Any more where those came from?” 

“Nope,” Noct said. “I only made these. But there’s plenty of stuff; you can fix your own.”

“Aaaawww,” Prompto started to complain, but he quieted when his eyes landed on Ignis. “Okay, I’ll--”

“Clean up first,” Ignis interrupted. “You’re filthy.”

“No, I’m--” Prompto looked down at his dust-covered fatigues. “Oh.” He stepped outside and brushed at his vest, the dust flying off in little puffs. By the time he came back in Gladio had left the bathroom so he took his turn, and then the two of them pulled lunches together. Gladio leaned against the counter to eat his, and Prompto plopped down opposite Noct and Ignis, who had both finished theirs.

They sat through the rest of lunch in silence.

* * *

Later Ignis cornered Gladio outside the caravan. “What is going on? You have been gloomy all day, and I’m surprised you haven’t snapped at anyone.”

Gladio gave him a shaded look. “So far, no one has given me reason to snap,” he said. 

Ignis folded his arms. “Something is troubling you, and your mood is affecting everyone. What is wrong?” 

Gladio glared up at the mountain and folded his arms across his chest. Then he sighed. “I couldn’t save him, Ignis.”

“What?”

“He ran ahead before I could stop him -- and in two blinks he was down, bleeding out on the ground. Iggy…” He turned and looked at Ignis, amber eyes gleaming. “What am I if I can’t protect him?”

Ignis gaped at him. “Gladio, I--”

“No, I get it now… You feel like you’ve poured everything into filling a particular role for the Prince. And then suddenly it’s taken away from you. And now… What if it happens again? What if I’m too late, and... “ He balled up his hands into fists. 

“Gladio…” 

“I can’t even be upset at him for wanting to hurry; he was just trying to get back down to you.”

Ignis was silent.

Gladio shook his head. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll get over it.” He stepped away from the caravan and summoned his greatsword. “I’ll just… run some exercises for a bit.”

And he did. 

For some minutes, Ignis watched Gladio swing his sword in his standard forms. Then he walked to the other end of the caravan and started his own routine. But he had worked it once, and he was already tired. He had to stop just two forms shy of the end of the first set. He made a frustrated sound and sat heavily on one of the plastic chairs until his breathing calmed. When he could stand again, he went back in the caravan. Gladio watched him go, his expression unreadable. 

* * *

Prompto “cooked” dinner that night -- boiled pasta and a canned sauce he picked up at the outpost. He heated everything under Gladio’s close supervision and managed not to burn it. They ate in silence again. Noct didn’t seem to notice. Gladio had the same gloomy expression he’d worn all day. Prompto, on the other hand, looked broken. He slumped in his seat, poked at his food, and barely ate. Ignis kept glancing at him through dinner, his eyes drawn with concern. When they had all eaten, Noct retired to bed early. Gladio started cleaning up. Prompto gave a shaky laugh and excused himself, saying he wanted to photograph the sunset. He left the caravan with a fake spring in his step. 

Ignis watched him go. As soon as he was sure Noct was settled, he followed. 

He didn’t see Prompto right away. Pretty soon, though, he heard the sniffling. Ignis followed it to the wall next to the caravan. Actually,  _ behind _ the wall next to the caravan, where Prompto was curled into a miserable ball, his arms wrapped around his knees and his face pressed into his thighs.

Ignis purposefully scuffed his feet in the gravel as he approached, so Prompto wouldn’t be startled, but Prompto still jumped when Ignis cleared his throat. 

“Oh, Igs!” Prompto’s voice cracked a little. He stood quickly and wiped at his face. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Shouldn’t you be… like… resting, or something?” 

“I’m fine,” Ignis said, and cocked his head. “Prompto, are you quite all right?”

“Yeah! Sure, I’m fine! Nothing wrong here, heh heh!” He gave Ignis a crooked smile.

Ignis folded his arms. “That might have worked on Noct or Gladio...”

Prompto’s smile faded a little then returned in full force. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “I’ve gotta…” He pushed past Ignis to head for the caravan. 

“Prompto…”

“No, really… I’m fine.” Prompto half-turned and waved a hand. “I mean, you’ve been sick, and Noct got ripped a new one, and Gladio’s… I dunno. But I’m totally fine. One of us has to be, right?” and he laughed again. It was clear his heart wasn't in it.

“Prompto, if you are unwell, you don’t have to pretend.”

“Who says I’m pretending?”

Ignis leveled a look at him that would usually send him scurrying. 

Instead, Prompto drew his shoulders up. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said. “I… This has just been a tough couple of weeks for all of us, right? You need to rest so you can get back to normal. You don’t need to be worrying about me.” 

“Prompto, I--” 

“Iggy. Just… don’t.” The forced cheer in Prompto’s face cracked a little. His lip trembled, and his wet eyes pleaded. Before Ignis could say anything else, Prompto jogged away, past the convenience store to where the hot springs were. 

Ignis did not follow. He couldn’t. He’d just end up out of breath again -- Prompto was  _ fast _ \-- and that would only make Prompto feel worse. Instead, he climbed into the caravan. Gladio had finished cleaning up dinner and was lounging across one of the cushions. He had pulled out a book, but it didn’t look like he was actually reading; his face looked at once stern and thoughtful. Ignis poked a head into the bedroom where Noct lay; the prince was already snoring lightly. Ignis returned and sank onto one of the cushions.

“Did you see Prompto out there?” Gladio asked.

“Yes,” Ignis said. “He… needs some time, I think.”

Gladio grunted. “We all do,” he said.

* * *

Prompto returned to the caravan in the wee hours of the morning, his entrance betrayed by the squeak of the door and a muffled curse when he tripped on the top step. He was clearly  _ trying  _ to be quiet, so as not to disturb the others’ much-needed rest. Ignis stirred where he lay on the couch-collapsed-into-a-bed, but kept as still as possible, so as not to alert Prompto that he’d failed in this little thing. It would just be one more burden he didn’t need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reblog writing stuff on Tumblr [@avianscribe](https://avianscribe.tumblr.com/)!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little by little, things are getting better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real Life has been busy as all get out, but I am still poking at this story as I can. after this next week, I'll hopefully be on a more regular writing schedule again!

By morning, all of them were ready to leave Ravatogh behind.

Ignis was due in Lestallum anyway for a follow-up appointment to check his recovery, and he only had a week’s supply left of his blood thinners. Since they would be headed to Altissia soon, he needed to stock up. No one complained. Heading to Lestallum put them closer to the Falgrove and the last of their clues for a Royal Arm.

Gladio drove the first day. Noct’s energy was still gone, and Gladio had yet to lift Ignis’s restrictions. Ignis still had trouble sitting up straight in the car for a good length of time, anyway. Prompto was simply too tired. He fell asleep almost as soon as the car started moving, and didn’t wake up for their first two rest stops. He did finally stir when they stopped at the Old Lestallum Crow’s Nest for lunch. They settled in a booth to wait for their order, and Ignis took the opportunity to ask how Prompto was feeling.

“Never better,” he said in his most chipper voice.

“Bullshit,” Gladio said. “Something kept you up late. You’d better not make the rest of us suffer for it.”

Prompto’s already-shaky smile crumbled.

“Gladio!” Ignis hissed, and elbowed him in the side.

Noct gave Gladio a dirty look. “C’mon, Prompto,” he said, and grabbed his friend by the arm and dragged him outside.

Ignis scowled at Gladio.

“What?” Gladio said.

“I can't believe you sometimes," Ignis said. "You might consider making an _attempt_ at compassion.” 

“I’m compassionate.”

Ignis raised an eyebrow at him.

Gladio leaned back and folded his arms, then exhaled. “What do you want me to do, Iggy?”

“I was trying to get him to open up yesterday, but he wouldn’t because he doesn’t want to add to the stress. What you just said to him pretty much guarantees that he will never confide in us.”

Gladio glowered at his folded arms.

Ignis drummed his fingers on the table and peered out the window. Noct and Prompto were easily visible, standing together just outside the Crow’s Nest door. Noct had a hand on Prompto’s shoulder, and Prompto was giving hesitant nods to whatever he was saying. Prompto’s face wasn’t visible, but Noct’s looked concerned.

Ignis glanced back at Gladio. “Prompto’s been walking on eggshells since you came back from the hunt yesterday,” he said.

“Yeah, well…” Gladio rubbed the back of his head with one hand and looked away, his expression a little sheepish. “I wasn’t in the best mood yesterday.”

“None of us were. But I sure hope you didn’t take it out on _Prompto_.”

“Of course not!” He hesitated. “At least, I don’t think I did.”

“He internalizes _everything._ You know that. And he bends over backwards not to bother us. He’s been through so much, and never lets on how it’s affecting him.”

“We’re all going through stuff, Iggy. He needs to shake it off _._ He ain’t got it worse than _you._ Or _Noct._ ”

“Just because he _looks_ fine doesn’t mean he _is._ We’ve all lost things -- loved ones, homes…” Ignis paused and took a deep breath, as though steadying himself -- the furthest extent of expression he would allow his grief. “Prompto’s lost as much as we have. Noct and I may have more immediate problems, but that doesn’t make Prompto’s suffering any less valid.”

Gladio sighed. “Of course you’re right. Like always.” He looked away. “I’ll… make it up to him.”

“See that you do,” Ignis said. Outside, Noct and Prompto still had their heads together, and Noct slipped an arm around Prompto’s shoulders and pulled him in for a side hug.

Then the server brought their food. Ignis tapped on the window to get Noct and Prompto’s attention and waved them inside. Noct came in first, still angling a dark look Gladio’s way. Prompto followed close behind, his eyes red-rimmed and downcast.

As they sat, Gladio leaned forward. “Prompto… I’m sorry. What I said before was out of line.”

Prompto’s eyes flashed Noct’s direction and then he blinked at Gladio. He gave a timid smile. “It’s okay, big guy,” he said softly.

“If there is anything we can do,” Ignis added, “please tell us.”

“You’re _not a bother,_ ” Noct said, bumping Prompto’s shoulder with his own. “Seriously. So stop saying you are.”

Prompto looked longer at Noct, his eyes turning glassy and wet. Then he looked down at his food. “Thanks, buddy,” he said.

And they ate.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the drive to Lestallum went without incident, thankfully. Prompto relaxed and started genuinely smiling again, Gladio stopped acting like a cranky garula, Noct perked up. Even Ignis, whose stamina was steadily improving, brightened. They had a routine now. They checked with local tipsters for easy hunts; set Ignis up at the closest haven; Gladio, Noct, and Prompto headed out, leaving Ignis behind to run his exercises and rest; and then they moved on to the next tipster, taking breaks every hour.

Ignis mostly behaved himself… except when he mended Noct’s fatigues. He sewed a line of neat stitching up the length of the tear that didn’t quite blend seamlessly with the decorative Crownsguard accents. When he pulled the shirt out with a flourish to show Noct, Gladio gave him a look that could have curdled cream. Ignis just pointed out that sewing isn’t strenuous, and he was relieved to have _something_ to do with his hands.

They paced themselves and took their time. They arrived in Lestallum mid-morning the third day. For the first time in a month, Ignis didn’t feel as though he’d overextended himself. They took a room at the Leville. Ignis called the clinic and confirmed his appointment for the next day. It gave them an afternoon in the city -- and this time, Ignis was able to walk the streets again. A little, at least. Enough to make it to the market for spices and ingredients (which he promised Gladio he wouldn’t use until he was allowed). As soon as his energy started flagging, he acquiesced to Gladio’s appeal to return to the hotel.

Ignis’s appointment the next morning went swimmingly. His vitals looked good, and all indications suggested he was truly on the mend. He filled his prescription with enough of the anticoagulant to last a couple months -- certainly enough for their trip to Altissia. When he returned to the others to report the good news, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

They didn’t linger in the city. The Falgrove and the last Royal Arm beckoned, and they were ready to get it all over with.

 

* * *

 

At the haven that evening, Ignis made it through his level-one Crownsguard forms and half-way through his level-twos before he had to stop. He slumped into his camp chair with a quiet “damn” and rubbed his face down with a towel.

“Getting close,” Gladio said, then took a long draw of his beer.

“Not quite close enough,” Ignis said. He slung the towel across his neck and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Astrals, I’m tired of processed food, take-out _and_ sandwiches.”

Gladio cast a look toward the cooking station, where Noct and Prompto were huddled over the camp stove. An empty package of some boxed freeze-dried food sat at Prompto’s elbow. Gladio chuckled. “Just a little longer,” he said. “You’ll be back in fighting form soon.”

“Not soon enough to save me from… What is that _thing_ they’re cooking?”

“Some kind of ground-garula noodle casserole.”

“How much sodium in a serving? And where did they _get_ it?”

“Uhh… I think it’d be better not to ask. Either of those things.”

Ignis sighed heavily. “Ramuh save me,” he muttered.

 

* * *

 

Two nights later at a haven west of Alstor Slough, Ignis finally succeeded.

“There… Gladio…” Ignis said triumphantly, defiantly. Then he collapsed to his hands and knees, gasping like a drowning man just pulled from the water.

“Yeah, great job. Real steady on your feet there.” Gladio watched him for a moment, his expression both amused and concerned. Then he pulled Ignis up by the arm. Ignis leaned on him while he steered the man to a chair.

“But… I did it… You can't deny me anymore…”

“All right, all right. You made it through your level-two forms. Barely. You can cook again.” Gladio pushed a water bottle into Ignis’s hands.

“I cannot describe how beautiful those words are to me right now,” Ignis said, and drained the bottle.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Ignis cooked breakfast. He went all out. Everyone agreed it was glorious...  and even when Ignis sank into a chair, weary at the effort, no one regretted it.

While they ate, they discussed their strategy for the next couple days, approaching the Falgrove. Naturally, Ignis was focused on the practical. “Between eating out too much, too many hotel stays and paying for my medicine, we are still pretty short on funds,” he said, spearing a sausage on his fork. “And we still need to fully restock our curatives.”

Prompto swallowed his mouthful of scrambled eggs and said, “We can grab that stuff at the Chocobo Post before we head down to the Falgrove.”

Noct snorted. “You just want to see the chocobos,” he said.

“Uh, _yeah_ I do!”

Gladio hummed. Then, voice muffled by food, he said, “We should get more hunts under our belt so we can stock up on the pricier things.”

Ignis shook his head at Gladio’s uncouth manners and poured himself another coffee. “We can tackle something more lucrative this time,” he said, “since I can join you.”

Gladio swallowed his mouthful and poked his fork towards Ignis. “Not yet, we can’t. You need to start with something small. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself just when you’re getting better.”

“But--”

Gladio slapped a hand on his knee. “No buts! It’s your first fight since you got sick. Start small and work up.”

“Seriously, Specs,” Noct said, slathering his pancakes with syrup. “If it was one of _us_ you’d be saying the same thing.”

Ignis tried to argue his point -- there wasn’t much time; the Falgrove was close; and from the things they had heard about Costlemark, it was going to be beastly; he needed to make sure he was in fighting shape _now_ \-- but the others were insistent. They didn’t want him to over-stretch himself. They compromised, and took on a pack of yellowtooths via the tipster at the next rest stop.

It was a clean fight. Ignis didn’t indulge in the flashy acrobatics he tended to use in battle, but he didn’t need to. The other three kept a careful eye on him, watching for signs that he was struggling. The pack of ten was reduced to zero in no time, and if Ignis was a little more winded at the end than he was accustomed to, he didn’t let it show.

“Great job,” Gladio said, clapping Ignis on the shoulder. “You… got a thing there.” He pointed to a scratch on Ignis’s cheek that was bleeding freely.

“Oh,” Ignis said. He put a hand to it and then stared at the blood that came away on his fingertips. “I didn’t even feel that happen.”

“Any bruises?” Gladio asked.

“Perhaps a couple.” Sure enough, a bright red spot on his bicep, peeking out from beneath the short sleeve of his gray T-shirt, was already swelling and turning a nasty purple.

“You’d better get a potion,” Gladio said.

“A potion?” Noct said. “Seriously? For bruises? Why don’t you let _me_ do that?”

“I’m on a blood thinner, Noct,” Ignis said, and pulled a potion from their ethereal arsenal. “Even bruising can be serious. I’ll... need to be more careful.” He crushed the bottle in his hand, and the purpling bruise faded in a shower of green glow. The scratch on his cheek knit together and faded, leaving only the blood, which Ignis fastidiously dabbed at with a handkerchief.

Gladio eyed him, his mouth a straight line. “We’re going to need to stock up a _lot,_ ” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As it happens, "that _thing_ " that Noct and Prompto cooked is Hamburger Helper. Probably the cheesy kind. And no, Ignis did not like it. If he never eats it again, it will be too soon.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the chocobros take more hunts -- and Ignis takes more damage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summer has ended, and that means my schedule is becoming less chaotic! Once I've sorted out my various projects-in-progress, I should have more writing time!

The Chocobo Post was a welcome sight. Prompto even gave a little “whoop!” as soon as it came into view. They parked, secured lodgings in the caravan, and checked in with Wiz. (Prompto took a detour to the chocobo pens and latched himself to the first bird he could hug, burying his face in fluff. It was all Noct could do to pull him away.)

Wiz was happy to see them, happy to give Ignis the reward for their latest hunt, and happier still to hand over the fliers for other available hunts. _Anything_ to keep his chocobos safe. Gladio leafed through the stack and pulled out two that he thought were suitable. Ignis grabbed the rest and pulled out two more.

“Not those,” Gladio said. “You shouldn’t go after daemons yet.”

Ignis exhaled in exasperation. “Costlemark will be crawling with daemons. And these aren’t nearly as bad as the monsters we faced in Steyliff Grove.” He shook the fliers in Gladio’s direction.

“When you guys tackled Steyliff, you weren’t on blood thinners,” Gladio countered.

Ignis’s hands tightened and the papers he was holding crinkled. “You don’t need to treat me like a raw recruit, _Gladio,_ ” he said.

“I’m not.”

“Don’t coddle me. If we are to fully replenish our supply of curatives, we need to take all the hunts we can.”

“It won’t do us any good if you have to use them up as fast as we buy them.”

Ignis sighed. “Have _some_ faith in me, please.”

“I’m just being realistic. Unlike _some_ people I know.”

Noct looked between the two of them. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Gladio and Ignis said together.

Noct eyed them both. “Ooookay, whatever you say. Well, let’s get going, then.” He snatched one of Gladio’s fliers and looked it over.

Ignis put a hand in his trouser pocket, where the gil from their latest reward jingled. Then he straightened his shoulders and handed the fliers he held to Prompto. “I’ll go purchase more potions,” he said, and strode off towards the post’s shop.

Noct watched him leave, then turned to Gladio. “Seriously, what was all that about?”

Gladio stared at Ignis’s retreating back. “Nothing you need to worry about, Princess,” he said, and took the fliers from Prompto.

“Two of my friends are sniping at each other, and I’m supposed to _not_ worry about it?” Noct grumbled… but he didn’t press.

 

* * *

 

The first hunt they took was easy: a handful of voretooths making a nuisance of themselves near the Chocobo Post. They wrapped it up quickly. Ignis managed to get through it well, and only needed a single potion in the end, for bruises.

For their second hunt, they tackled one of the daemon marks Ignis had insisted on pulling. They gave Ignis the afternoon to rest and then headed out in the evening. The thunder bombs were slow and easy to take out, and Ignis made it through again only needing a potion -- though he did get more banged up in the dark, on the rough terrain. The others didn’t get a good look at the damage before Ignis snapped the potion over his arm, and it was just as well.

The next day’s hunt was a disaster.

They headed out mid-morning. Ignis was already tired, but they took the chance anyway, against Gladio’s better judgement. They hiked until well after noon to find their mark, which tired Ignis even more. The very moment they found the group of hundlegs, things went wrong. One peeled away immediately and got a hit on Ignis, slashing across his forehead just under his hairline. Blood welled up instantly, and was soon running down his face. He kept fighting and even managed to take one down before the blood got to his eyes. Soon he was alternating between flinging his knives at targets and wiping at his face so he could see. Effectively blind, he had to switch from attacking to evasion tactics. In between parries, he applied a potion, which healed up the wound but did nothing for the blood already on his face.

And nothing for the creature’s venom.

Ignis didn’t register directly that he was poisoned, but the toxin took its toll right away, slowing his reflexes and weakening his throwing strength. He took a couple more hits -- a superficial one across the arm, and then a more serious one to the shoulder, making him drop his daggers with a curse. For each heavily-bleeding wound, he used a potion.

Then one of the last hundlegs reared up, clicking its fury and opening its mandibles wide for the attack.

Ignis back-stepped quickly, a practiced move, but his legs were suddenly unsteady. He tripped and went down hard. He threw an arm out to catch himself. It crumpled under him. He gasped -- and then the hundlegs lunged and caught his calf in a vice-like grip. Ignis let out a strangled, painful cry.

“Ignis!” Gladio yelled, but then had to fend off two of the chitinous monsters charging at him at once. Noct cursed and wove his way through the melee trying to reach Ignis. Prompto fired a shot that grazed the hundlegs’s head, and it let go of Ignis’s leg -- but it only shook itself and reared up, poised to strike again.

It started its charge but froze when Noct’s greatsword pierced through its chest. Then Noct himself appeared in a shower of blue magic, grasping the hilt of the greatsword. The hundlegs sagged backwards under Noct’s sudden weight. Noct braced his feet against the creature’s back and shifted, heaving the sword upward. It carved up the length of the hundlegs and cleaved through its head, leaving a fountain of ichor in its wake.

Prompto sprinted to Ignis. The advisor leaned up on his good arm, glasses askew, his mangled leg bleeding through his trousers. He managed to sit, shifting his legs to a less-painful position, and cradled his injured arm to his chest. The wrist was already swelling. He looked a grizzly mess, half his face still covered with blood.

Prompto gave a small yelp and fumbled one of the few elixirs from their inventory. He crouched and popped it against Ignis’s chest. Green glow washed over Ignis. The painful set of his jaw relaxed, but the waxy pallor of his skin remained. He flexed the fingers of his formerly-wounded hand. “Thank you, Prompto,” he breathed.

Prompto set a hand on Ignis’s shoulder, his brows drawn with concern. “You okay?”

Ignis pulled out an antidote and drank it quickly. Then he sighed. “I will be now.” He let Prompto help him stand. When he staggered, Prompto kept a steadying hand on his arm.

“That was… awful,” Noct said.

Gladio let his greatsword disappear into blue sparks and paced over to them. He eyed Ignis from head to toe. “You’re a mess,” he said.

“Thanks,” Ignis said sardonically.

“That’s a lot of blood there,” Gladio said, gesturing to Ignis’s face.

“It’s a _head wound,_ Gladio,” Ignis snapped. “Head wounds bleed a lot.” He shifted irritably under Prompto’s hand. Prompto pulled it away and let it fall.

“How’s your arm?” he asked.

Ignis flexed it again. “It’s alright,” he said. “I don’t think it was broken.”

“But the way it was swelling…”

“That’s just the anticoagulant,” Ignis said. “It was bruising.”

“ _That_ was _bruising?_ ” Noct said.

Ignis frowned, still flexing his fingers. He rotated his wrist and then shook his hand vigorously. “It feels fine now.”

“Good thing we had an elixir,” Gladio grumbled.

 

* * *

 

They returned to the car. Noct and Prompto led out, their forcedly-lively back-and-forth a counterpart to Ignis’s weary silence and Gladio’s quiet tension. The further they went, the slower Ignis walked, his breath coming heavier.

Gladio fell back to walk alongside Ignis. His eyebrows made a scruffy line, shadowing his eyes and accentuating the pinched line of his mouth. When Noct and Prompto were far enough ahead for their banter to be mostly indistinct, Gladio opened his mouth like he was about to say something, then closed it again.

He did this twice more before Ignis finally said, “Just say what you want to say.”

“Should you really be fighting?” Gladio said. Then he winced, like that wasn’t what he meant to say after all.

“What do you mean?” Ignis said, an edge to his voice.

Gladio was silent for a few more strides. Then he inhaled deeply. “If the blood thinners were so dangerous you were willing to avoid them in the first place, maybe you should--”

“I’ve just spent nearly a month feeling helpless,” Ignis interrupted. “I don’t want to feel that way again.” Then he hesitated. When he spoke again, his voice was less certain. “I… can’t deny I’m worried. But I will do what I must, to help Noct. That… is more important.”

“Than your health?”

Ignis was silent -- because, naturally, the answer was yes. They both knew it.

 

* * *

 

They returned to the Chocobo Post caravan. Ignis took a moment to peel off his blood-soaked gloves, wash his face, and change into clean clothes, shedding the bloodstained gray shirt and casual trousers for his coeurl-print button-up and Crownsguard slacks. As soon as he was clean, he retired to one of the beds. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the mattress. The day’s hunts had taken a lot out of him.

The other three looked at each other. Gladio checked the time on his phone and Prompto looked out the window at the sun setting behind the Disc of Cauthess.

“Well, Ignis isn’t cooking tonight,” Gladio said.

“I’ll get sandwiches,” Noct said, and walked out.

The caravan door closed with a click and silence fell. Prompto picked at his wristband and shifted uncomfortably. Then he looked at Gladio. “You don’t want Iggy fighting, do you.”

Gladio snorted. “He’s a grown man, kid… He can make his own decisions.”

“But you don’t like them.”

Gladio peered at Prompto. He wasn’t quite frowning, but he wasn’t smiling either. “No, I don’t. I think he’s being stupid.”

Prompto didn’t meet Gladio’s gaze for long; he seldom did. He looked away, still picking at his wristband. “Can’t really argue with you there,” he said. “But…”

Gladio sighed. “Trouble is, he’s right.”

Prompto looked back at him. “He’s right?”

“We need him,” Gladio said. He sat heavily at the caravan’s table and leaned forward on his elbows. “This is going to be a tricky mission, if what we’ve heard about Costlemark is true. And...” He frowned and tapped his fingers on the tabletop.

When Gladio didn’t continue, Prompto raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“We really shouldn’t prevent him from going. It’s his choice. He’s chosen his duty to Noct over his health. Doesn’t matter whether I like it or not.” Gladio looked unhappy -- he leaned back, folded his arms, and glared at the table. “I just… don’t like how many potions and junk he needed today.”

“You and me both,” Prompto said quietly.

They fell silent until Noct climbed back into the caravan carrying a bag of sandwiches. He handed Gladio and Prompto theirs, poked his head into the room where Ignis was resting, and then -- rather than wake Ignis -- stuck Ignis’s sandwich in the fridge. The three of them sat down to eat and Ignis slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just because you're recovering doesn't mean you're well... and being on blood thinners means every bump or bruise is a potential problem. In other (not surprising) news, Ignis's health is not his highest priority...


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally decide they’re ready to investigate Costlemark, but someone's still worried about Ignis going with them.

“Well, the boat’s ready,” Noct said, letting the caravan door clang shut behind him. “Has been for days. Cid wants to know what’s taking us so long. I wanna know why he didn't just tell us instead of waiting for us to show up.” He sounded a touch bitter.

“I guess he figured we were already on our way,” Prompto said, giving his pistol a last swipe with a chamois cloth before releasing both back into the Armiger. He sighed and rested his chin on his hands, his fingers tapping the table top.

Across the table from him, Ignis tallied their inventory with a scowl.

They were still staying at Wiz’s Chocobo Post. The handful of hunts they had taken since the hundlegs debacle had all gone much more smoothly -- but Ignis was still using at least one and sometimes as many as four curatives per hunt, to heal his inevitable injuries. Nothing would scab over, thanks to the blood thinner, so even his most superficial injuries became serious. In the meantime, the bounties they got had to make up for what he was using, on top of adding to their stockpile for Costlemark. It made stocking up much more difficult.

“We just don’t quite have as much as I would like,” Ignis muttered. “But I suppose, if we’re going to find the Sword of the Tall, we can’t put it off any longer.”

From the caravan’s couch, Gladio grunted but kept looking at his phone, swiping occasionally. Noct leaned over his shoulder to look at the screen.

“Sub.. dural… hematoma...?” Noct said. “That looks... riveting.” His voice was doubtful.

Gladio glared up at him. “Mind your own business, Princess,” he said. He pocketed the phone and stood up, ignoring Ignis’s piercing look. “Cid’s gonna start breathing down our necks if we don't show up soon. We’ve gotta get to Altissia, anyway.” He hesitated and rubbed the back of his neck. “We… You’ve done great, getting all the arms we’ve found so far. Maybe… I mean, this place is supposed to be… pretty awful. No one would fault you if you decided to… you know.”

“What are you trying to say, Gladio?” Ignis asked.

“That… maybe he has enough. Arms, I mean.”

Prompto chuckled. “ _There’s_ an opening huge enough to drive a truck through. Any takers?” He flexed an arm and squeezed his bicep. “ _Arms…?”_  Gladio kicked his ankle, and he yelped.

“You know what I mean,” Gladio growled.

“But we’re _this close_ to it,” Noct said, pinching his fingers close together.

“I don’t know,” Gladio said. His face was tense with worry. “I just…” He glanced at Ignis and then quickly away.

Ignis frowned.

“We’ve gotta at least try,” Noct said. “We won’t be back this way until after the… the wedding, and…  when are we going to get another chance?”

Gladio looked dubious. “If you’re sure…”

“Sure I’m sure.”

“Costlemark it is, then,” Ignis said. He brushed his hands together and stood up from the table. He glared daggers at Gladio as he passed, and left the caravan.

“Now, I guess?” Prompto said, staring after Ignis.

“Now or never,” Noct said with a nod.

Then Prompto and Noct piled out of the caravan, too.

Gladio sighed and clenched his fists, and then followed.

 

* * *

 

They parked the Regalia by the road and made their way to the haven nestled in the Fallgrove. They set up camp and had a light lunch, and then Noct and Prompto headed out to scout around the wider ruins while Ignis cleaned up. Gladio offered to help, but Ignis waved him off -- so he sat instead, scrolling his phone with his thumb and pursing his lips. Ignis eyed him now and then.

Finally Gladio leaned back and exhaled.

“Gil for your thoughts?” Ignis said evenly.

“Iggy…” Gladio started, but then he wavered.

“What?” Ignis finally asked. When Gladio stayed silent, Ignis curled his lips into an almost-smile. “Are you going to tell me again that I should bow out? Or maybe there’s some other reason why you are actively _discouraging_ Noct from seeking out his birthright.”

Gladio pursed his lips. “This isn’t about that at all, it’s--”

“It’s _Noct’s call_ , is what it is.”

“Just… try not to hit your head in there,” Gladio finally said.

Ignis squinted at him. “You’ve been Moogling medical advice again, have you?”

“No,” Gladio answered, but his eyes shifted away. Ignis raised an eyebrow. “Okay, okay. I’m just… looking up your blood thinner. And all the cautions and advisories on it. Kinda wish I’d seen them before.”

The knife Ignis was drying clanged against the cooking station top when he set it down a little too firmly. “Gladio,” he said in a clipped, barely-in-control tone. “It’s my medicine, and it’s my business.”

“Ignis, you know that’s not true. If your health is going to affect Noct, it’s not just your business anymore.” He stood and approached the cooking station, his brows drawn with concern. “I had to look up what a hematoma is, but… I mean, the bruising is bad enough, but a head injury… You could... You could die.”

“You don't think I looked up all the indications of my own medicine?” Ignis drew himself up, indignant. “I already _know_ what a hematoma is. I know the difference between epidural and subdural. I know the symptoms and how to treat them--”

“Don't you think maybe _we_ ought to know some of that too? In case something happens to you?”

“I'm doing my best to avoid that being necessary.”

Gladio’s teeth clamped shut on what would probably have been a very rude retort, but the dark look he gave Ignis spoke volumes. “Shouldn’t I at least tell Noct?” he finally said.

“Certainly not.” Ignis’s face flashed with anger, but also with something like fear.

Fear, maybe, that Noct would really leave him behind, if he knew how dangerous this would be for him. Fear that he would be absent _again_ if something happened to Noct.

Gladio sighed. “I haven't put my foot down about this, only because I know how I’d feel if it was me. But… I really don’t think you're being wise.” He straightened and gave Ignis the official Crownsguard salute, almost mockingly. “Consider this me filing my formal complaint.”

Ignis gaped at him.

Gladio relaxed, pulled his phone out and sat down again. “I won’t tell Noct, but… I’m gonna make sure at least _one_ of us knows what to do if you hit your head,” he said, and he scrolled and read.

Ignis watched him thoughtfully for a moment, then quickly finished cleanup.

 

* * *

 

With the lunch stuff put away, Ignis texted Noct for his location. Then they all joined up at the base of Costlemark Tower.

Prompto gave a low whistle. “How old do you think this place is?”

“At least two thousand years, if my guess is right,” Ignis said. “From the look of these carvings, I'd say this dates to ancient Solheim.”

“Whoa,” Noct said, eyeing the towering arches and crumbling walls. “We sure this place is safe?”

“I’d say it's ‘enter at your own risk’,” Ignis said.

“I guess we'd better risk it, then,” Noct said, and stepped over the threshold.

They wandered around the ruin then, in various stages of awe. Prompto’s eyes were wide, and he focused his camera this way and that, taking in all the angles of the stonework and the way the sun streamed through the arches. Noct shoved his hands in his pockets and followed Prompto around, making appreciative comments when the blonde shared a particularly-striking shot. Gladio headed farther in, following his habit of scouting for danger and making sure the area was clear, but even he leaned back for looks now and then. Ignis took a closer approach, running a hand up and down the stonework as he investigated the walls.

“This reminds me of the stonework in Steyliff Grove,” he said, when Noct and Prompto wandered close.

Noct leaned in to look. “I think you’re right.”

“I wonder…” Ignis put a finger on his chin. “In Steyliff, we were unable to enter until nightfall. Will this place be the same?”

“Dunno,” Noct said, “but I can’t see anything that leads in. At least, not right now. Bunch of dead ends. And there’s that… weird… thing over there.” He waved a hand to a span of stone that bridged over an open chasm. Gladio stood on it now, leaning against the stone balustrade, looking down into the depths of the earth.

Noct and Ignis walked over to him, with Prompto trailing behind.

“There’s something down there,” Gladio said. His deep bass voice echoed below.

“Of course there is,” Prompto said. “Daemons, spiders, all sorts of things that live in dark places…”

A rumbling animal noise echoed up from the depths.

Prompto paled and backed away. “Yeah, that’s a big ‘nope’ for me,” he said.

“Hey,” Noct said, lazily draping an arm around Prompto’s shoulders. “No way we’re leaving you up here alone. You’re coming with us.”

Prompto swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He gave Noct a wan smile. “If you say so, buddy,” he said in a thin voice.

Ignis stepped up to the balustrade near Gladio and peered down into the dark as well. With his long fingers, he pushed his glasses up his nose. “I think there’s nothing for it but to wait for nightfall and see if the path opens,” he said. Then he glanced up to the sky, taking in the angle of the sun through the stone arches. “We have some hours yet.”

“All right,” Noct said, pumping a fist. “It’s fishing time!”

“Noct,” Ignis said in a warning tone, “I don’t think that’s--”

“There’s time; that one frog pond Sania sent us to is just down the way.”

“You must be back here before sundown,” Ignis cautioned. “You don’t want to run into daemons.”

“Sure, sure…” Noct had already pulled out his rod. He adjusted the reel, tested the line, threaded it through the rings, and finally tied a lure to the end. He hooked the lure to one of the rings, tightened the line to hold it fast, and released the rod back into the armory. “You guys coming?”

Ignis took a deep breath. “I think I’ll stay at camp and rest up,” he said. “Perhaps I’ll fix something hearty in advance of our foray into the ruins. I’ll text when it’s ready.”

“Whatever you want, Specs,” Noct said, and whistled for his chocobo.

 

* * *

 

Usually, Noct had the pier to himself while fishing. The others would wander about nearby, doing their own thing. Gladio would usually pull out a book and hole up with it somewhere he could still keep an eye on Noct. Prompto, naturally, would pull out his camera. When Ignis came along, he would sit with his notebook, reading through and adding notes to it.

This time, while Prompto wandered around the pond as usual, Gladio joined Noct on the dock. And then he began running through a list of appropriate responses to emergency medical issues, as though it was lesson time. He started with severe bleeding, and moved quickly to head injuries, and what to do with someone who was unconscious.

Noct’s expression grew more and more puzzled the more Gladio spoke.

“… And if you see someone who’s having a seizure, you--”

“Why are you lecturing me on all this first aid stuff?” Noct said, eyes on the ripples where his line entered the water. “Why _now?”_

Gladio frowned. “You just… never know when you might need it, I guess.”

“Seriously, Gladio, lay off,” Noct said, slowly reeling his line in. “I had all that in training, and it’s not like we’re going to meet up with anyone having seizures out here.” He lifted the pole, bringing the last two feet of line out of the water.

“But--”

“Shhh,” Noct said, checking his lure. “You’re scaring the fish.” He canted the rod back and cast again.

 

* * *

 

Sunlight angled low through the trees when Noct’s phone chimed with a text from Ignis. Soon they were all on chocobo back and they reached the haven before sunset, just as Ignis finished plating a magnificent-smelling stew. They didn’t often have enough time at a camping spot to allow Ignis to cook a good stew, and this one was one of the best they’d had -- more meat than veggies, cooked until the meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender.

“You’re amazing, Ignis,” Noct said around a mouthful.

Ignis didn’t quite suppress a smile -- and when his cheeks pinked up, he turned his face away, adjusting his glasses with one hand to hide it. “I do try,” he said meekly.

Everyone helped clean up, and by the time the sun dipped below the horizon, they were ready.

The hike from the haven to the ruin was short enough that there was still some light when they crossed the stone span over the hole into the earth. This time, as they approached the inner rooms of the ruin, stone glowed red. The last light of day faded, and the pathway dropped open before them with the rumble of stone grating against stone.

Prompto staggered back a step. “Whoa,” he said.

“I guess that’s our invitation,” Noct said.

And they entered.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entering Costlemark...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to RL being busy, I'm posting this a lot later than I was expecting -- but it gave me more time to edit, and hopefully this and the next chapter are better for it... We'll see! Since I broke my rule of not posting a fic when it isn't finished, I'm trying to make up for it by doing what I can to make sure everything works together in the end. >_>

A burst of stale, dusty air hit them. They peered down, the ramp ahead lit only by the beams of their lamps. The shadows shifted as they moved. Noct started ahead but Gladio lunged forward and caught his arm.

“Wait,” he said in a low voice. Noct opened his mouth to argue, but Gladio added, “Let me go first.”

Noct looked at his Shield for a few heartbeats and then nodded. Gladio turned and beckoned to Ignis, who stepped forward warily.

“Stay close,” Gladio murmured to him. Then he headed in.

Ignis exchanged a look with Noct. Then he squinted at Gladio’s broad back. He jogged to catch up to Gladio’s long stride, and then, soft enough that Noct and Prompto would not hear, asked, “What are you doing?”

Gladio eyed the stone walls. “Dunno what you're talking about,” he said.

“Do you think it's wise to let Prompto bring up the rear?”

“I doubt we'll be ambushed from behind, if that's what you're worried about,” Gladio said.

“That’s not entirely what I mean…” Ignis glanced back to the other two, who had fallen about six or seven meters behind. Noct leaned in to look at something Prompto was pointing out -- and Ignis leaned closer to Gladio. “ _Noct_ should be ‘staying close’, not I. And if anyone should be bringing up the rear, it should be one of _us.”_ He gestured between the two of them.

“Ideally we’ll be sticking close enough together that who's coming last shouldn't be an issue.”

“Then maybe you should inform _them_ ,” Ignis said, and jabbed a thumb towards the other two, who still lingered some distance behind.

Gladio rolled his eyes at Ignis and then turned and called, “Hey. You two mind catching up, here?”

Noct and Prompto both looked up from whatever had caught their attention and jogged up to Ignis’s side.

Ignis adjusted his glasses. “Let’s not stray too far from one another,” he said, and gave Gladio a pointed look. Gladio ignored him.

They clustered together then, following the passage until it opened into a larger round room. They had just enough time to register the regular carvings and the round metallic disk set into the floor when a weird bubbling started along the seams of the stones -- daemonic miasma. As one, the four of them backed away, each summoning his weapon of choice. The black sludge surged and dispersed, leaving in its wake a slump of flan-like gelatins that jiggled and gleamed a sickly color in the lamplight.

Everyone moved at once. Prompto fired a couple rounds -- mostly ineffectual. The gelatins’ gloopy bodies absorbed the shots without effect. Noct snorted with disgust, but plowed forward nonetheless, wincing when his sword met the fleshy resistance of a gelatinous mass. Gladio came behind, swinging.

Ignis took a heartbeat to Spellbind his daggers, electricity flashing down the blades. Then he was moving too, and where he slashed, lightning prickled across the gelatins’ viscous skins.

In no time, the flan spawn had all returned to the miasma they sprang from. Everyone paused for a breather -- except Noct, who spent his breath cursing wiggly desserts. They collected themselves and headed deeper.

The next room held more gelatins, joined by larger versions of the thunder bombs they’d fought before. “Galvanides,” Ignis hissed, and let his electric Spellbinding dissipate as soon as he saw them -- lightning would do no good here. This group was trickier, the fight more chaotic. It kept them all on their toes -- and even so, the last stray galvanide let off a discharge near Prompto that sent him to his knees with a shriek. Noct pulled a pistol from the Armiger and took the bomb out with two shots. Its spark extinguished, it fell like a stone to the floor, leaving the scent of ozone in its wake.

Gladio rushed to Prompto’s side and lay a hand on his shoulder. “You okay, kid?” he said.

“My arm,” Prompto rasped, and shifted it to look. From shoulder to elbow, it was laced with electrical burns.

Gladio cursed under his breath and produced a potion. He snapped it over the burns. The liquid’s glow settled into Prompto’s skin and the inflamed welts faded.

“Whew!” Prompto sighed. “That stung!”

“You okay now?”

Prompto rubbed one palm against his chest. “My heart's racing a bit, but I feel okay.”

“Good.”

Prompto grabbed Gladio’s extended hand and Gladio pulled him to his feet.

In the next room, they had a brief impression of broken balustrades and patches of rubble-strewn floor before they were set upon by lightning-fast Ereshkigals, grasping at them with skeletal fingers. Then they were stumbling over loose stone trying to keep their feet as they evaded the daemons.

One of them managed to filch one of Noct’s potions from his pocket. “Hey!” Noct yelled, and felled it with a warp-strike before it could drink. Noct barely saved the potion from shattering on the stone floor and hurriedly stuffed it away again.

“Careful there, Noct!” Gladio yelled. “We can't afford to lose those!”

“Think I don't know that?” Noct spat, then with a grunt he fended off another attack.

By the time they had felled the remaining Ereshkigals, they all were breathing heavily and bleeding from numerous little wounds. Ignis leaned against a wall. His arm and face both bled freely. Gladio rushed over but Ignis flapped a hand at him to shoo him away.

“I'm… all right… Gladio,” he said between breaths. He winced, fumbled a potion out and snapped it, and immediately his grimace eased. It still took some moments for him to calm his breathing. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped at his face.

Gladio put a hand on his shoulder. “You sure you're okay?”

Ignis gave a curt nod. “Shouldn't you be checking on Noct?” He met Gladio’s eyes in challenge.

Gladio backed away then, retreating towards the prince. Prompto was already there -- and the two of them refused potions for their scratches, which had already stopped bleeding.

When they were all settled and even Ignis’s breathing had calmed, they took stock of where they were. The path ahead was blocked by rubble on one side and a collapsed floor on the other, the gap spanned by a fallen column. Prompto walked right up to the edge and looked down, then paled and backed away. “What’re we going to do from here?”

Noct smirked at him and then carefully crossed the column to the other side.

“Okay, we’re doing _that_ , I guess,” Prompto said, then took a deep breath.

Gladio patted him on the back. “Wanna go next?” he asked with a smile.

“Get it over with now, or… wait in the dark for the daemons to get me…” Prompto hummed. “I think I’ll get it over with.”

“I’ll warp to catch you if you fall,” Noct said from the other side.

“Thanks, dude,” Prompto said dryly. “Makes we feel much better.” He took the span then, hesitantly; he wobbled a few times, but made it across. “Bless you, solid ground,” he said, and gave the floor a pat.

Gladio and Ignis followed without incident. Once on the other side, they navigated more ramps and stairs, making their way ever downward.

It got worse the farther they went.

Each area they entered spawned more daemons -- often without so much as a breather from their last fight. Between evading the skeletal fingers of the wickedly-fast Ereshkigals and the wide swings of the hulking Bussemands, they were kept on their toes. The crumbling architecture didn't help much; they had to keep their eyes open for places where the floor had fallen in.

Gladio shadowed Ignis more than Noct. When the Bussemands pressed in to pummel them with fists, Ignis would raise his polearm to block only to find Gladio there with his greatsword. When Gelatins swarmed towards them, Gladio maneuvered himself between them and Ignis before they could attack. When Ereshkigals grasped at him, Gladio knocked them away almost before Ignis could summon his own weapons.

Each time, Ignis would scan quickly for Noct’s position, and flash an irritated side-eye at Gladio before collecting himself for his next attack.

Finally, Gladio interfered one too many times. “What do you think you are doing?” Ignis hissed.

“My job,” Gladio answered, taking the Ereshkigal with a broad swing.

“Gladio, you are not _my_ Shield.”

“I _know_ that.”

“You can’t protect me _and_ protect Noct as you need to, so stop.”

“I’m --” Gladio stopped talking to focus on swinging his sword. After taking out two more of the skittering daemons, he faced Ignis again. “I don’t want to see _either_ of you hurt.”

Ignis made an inarticulate sound of frustration. Then he threw himself into the fight more ferociously, and managed to down the rest of the Ereshkigals in the room with a series of well-aimed strikes. He stood over the dissolving remains, chest heaving, fists still clenched on the hilts of his daggers. He glared at Gladio, eyes defiant.

The other three stared back. Noct and Prompto were frozen in shock, weapons still half-way raised. Prompto dropped his gun, which vanished before hitting the floor.

Gladio was the first to move, releasing his sword to the Armiger. “Remind me not to get you mad,” he said. Then he turned away to follow the passageway. Noct and Prompto tore their eyes away from Ignis to watch Gladio walk away. Then they trailed after him, glancing back at Ignis more than once as they did.

Ignis took several deep breaths, calming both his breathing and his temper. Then he clenched his teeth, released his daggers, and followed.

Prompto caught up to Gladio and leaned in. “What did you do to piss off Iggy?”

Gladio didn’t answer.

Prompto glanced back to Noct, who shrugged. Both of them avoided looking at Ignis when he finally joined them; his deep scowl said he was not inclined to talk.

The passage led to another rectangular room. They quickly cleared out the daemons that spawned when they entered, then took a closer look around. The wall on one end of the room was dominated by a tall, bronze door.

“Like the ones we saw in Steyliff,” Prompto said, running a hand over the door’s decorative sunburst rays.

“Yeah,” Noct said.

Ignis said nothing. He stood with arms crossed, his expression still grim, looking like his thoughts were miles away.

Gladio just grunted. “That place must have been something,” he said. “Too bad I missed it. Maybe we should go back for a visit.”

“You’d have loved it, dude,” Prompto said. “That ceiling made of water!”

“All those daemons,” Noct muttered.

Ignis just frowned deeper.

Noct pushed the bronze door open. The round room they found behind it was more like a shaft boring deeper into the earth. They entered onto a narrow balcony that wrapped around the room nearly full-circle, with one gap in it. Looking through that gap revealed another balcony below. The center of the room dropped into darkness, the light of their lanterns catching the occasional distant gleam of bronze. Prompto peered down and whistled. “That’s quite a drop. How many more levels down do you think there are?”

Noct leaned beside Prompto. “Who knows?” he said.

It didn’t look like there was a way down. They were about to turn back to the room they’d come from when a troupe of Bussemands dropped on them from above.

Chaos ensued.

Prompto immediately backed away, to get some distance for an open shot. Noct warped in the opposite direction, catching a Bussemand with his sword and knocking it off its feet but not taking it out. Gladio glanced between Noct and Ignis -- but when one of the massive daemons rose up in front of Ignis, arms swinging, he moved. His broadsword caught it full in the chest, knocking it backward.

Ignis sputtered. “Gladio, that’s unnecessary!”

“Shut your trap,” Gladio said.

“If you’d just--”

“Noct!” Prompto yelled.

Ignis and Gladio turned just in time to see another Bussemand’s broad fist smack Noct in the chest. The blow gave a rib-cracking crunch, and the impact threw Noct backwards. He hit the balustrade of the balcony’s gap mid-back, and his momentum carried him over it, heels over head. He fell into the darkness below.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy October! I'll be working on this fic instead of participating in "Whumptober", and I hope it will do... >_>
> 
> THERE IS ART... [An illustration of Noct in the hundlegs fight back in Chapter 11, by puffbirdstudio!](http://puffbirdstudio.tumblr.com/post/177882449587/its-a-noctis-i-wanted-to-practice-a-couple)

“Noct!” Ignis cried, and levered his polearm to vault over the Bussemand. He dropped to the balcony below more carefully than Noct had. Ignis hissed through his teeth at the sight of his prince on the stone floor, shoulder twisted at an odd angle, his face pale and contorted with pain. He was breathing, but shallowly, his breath catching as though every inhale hurt.

Above, Gladio shouted. The sounds of fighting continued, but it was only Gladio and Prompto now, and they weren’t going to last long alone. Prompto’s next frantic yelp just emphasized that.

Ignis quickly pulled out one of their few elixirs and shattered it over Noct. Letting the curative do its work, he tried to help Noct lay back in a better position on the stone. Noct gasped when Ignis accidentally jostled his shoulder, and gasped again when his back made contact with the hard floor. It took some time for the full effect of the elixir to kick in -- Noct’s face smoothed out as the pain receded -- and when it did, Noct sat up in alarm. He hissed and rubbed his still-healing ribs.

“Gladio!” he shouted hoarsely. “Prompto! Get your asses down here!”

Prompto’s answer couldn’t quite be heard over the noise of fighting, but soon he swung out over the central shaft, hanging onto the upper balustrade for a moment before he could swing his feet with enough momentum to land safely on the lower balcony. He stood unsteadily, grasping his shoulder. In the lamplight, it looked like a good-sized bruise was already forming.

It took a moment longer for Gladio to drop through the gap Noct had fallen through. He landed solidly on his feet, his massive blade still in hand, and looked back up. The Bussemands above howled their wordless frustration, but thankfully did not follow. Their noises faded as they left to look for easier prey.

When he was confident the Bussemands weren’t coming, Gladio dismissed his sword and turned to Noct. His expression twisted, like he’d tasted something bitter.

Ignis kept a steadying hand on Noct’s shoulder while he looked him up and down for any further sign of injury. Seeing none, he breathed a sigh of relief. He and Prompto helped Noct stand -- and then Ignis rounded on Gladio.

“You… you _idiot!”_

Gladio clenched his fists.

“Whoa, whoa, cool it, Specs,” Noct said, putting a hand on Ignis’s chest.

“But he --” and Ignis gestured wildly at Gladio “-- is putting _my_ safety above _yours!”_

“Yeah, because I told him to.”

Ignis’s jaw dropped. “... What?”

Gladio frowned and opened his mouth, but Noct cut him off.

“When I went fishing this afternoon,” he said, meeting and holding Gladio’s eyes. “We had a lot of time to chat… I asked him to keep an eye out for you.” He looked away and rubbed the back of his head. “Maybe it wasn't such a great idea this time, but… ”

Ignis searched Gladio’s face. “You _agreed_ to this?”

Gladio shook his head. “I’m--”

“Following my orders,” Noct interjected.  “You're following my orders.” He patted Gladio on the arm.

Gladio gave Noct a puzzled look and glanced at Ignis. His mouth worked a couple times before he spoke. “I... mostly decided I’d help you out if Noct had everything in hand on his end. I… guess I misjudged, this time.” He dropped to one knee, and leaned on the knuckles of his fist in a contrite bow. “Forgive me, Highness.”

Noct huffed and flapped a hand at him, looking embarrassed. “Get up. Everyone's all right now, so don't worry about it.”

“I'm gonna worry, because it shouldn't have happened,” Gladio said as he stood.

“Yeah, well… don't let it happen again, I guess.” Noct turned away and grabbed Prompto by the elbow. “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s find a way out of this joint.” They began to probe around the balcony for an exit.

Gladio and Ignis looked at each other.

Ignis waited, stony-faced, until Noct and Prompto were far enough away not to hear. Then he quietly said, “You talked to him about my medicine.”

“Like hell I did. Said I wouldn’t.”

Ignis squinted. “Did he really ask you to protect me?”

Gladio winced. “Not in so many words, no.”

“Then why is he covering for you?”

“Hell if I know. He should be just as furious as you.”

“I _am_ furious, Gladiolus _Amicitia_ , and I’m not going to let this slide.”

Gladio flinched at Ignis’s emphasis on his surname -- a calculated reminder of his family obligation. “Honestly? You shouldn’t. But I’m not gonna take it back.”

“Then explain to me how you justified going against your _oath_.”

“I didn't go against my oath.” Gladio folded his arms. “He needs _all_ of us. You haven’t convinced me that you know when you should stop. You keep pushing through everything. It was different when you first got sick, because your body wouldn’t _let_ you do more than you should, but now… Now, you act like you think you’re fine, but every time I see something come at you, all I can think of is you bleeding out on us.”

“And so you will prioritize me over Noct and violate your oath.”

“I’m not violating _anything_ ,” Gladio said, and dropped his arms to his sides. “Hell, half the time he’s warping around the battlefield and I can’t keep up with him anyway. I can still be there for him when he needs me.”

“Like just now.”

Gladio shifted uncomfortably. “That… was an oversight.”

“A mistake I trust you will not make again.” Ignis folded his arms. “You should be at _his_ side, not covering for me.”

Gladio eyed Ignis. “Except now he’s given me permission.”

Ignis pursed his lips.

Gladio scuffed the toe of a boot against the dusty floor. “The kid’s not dense, Iggy. I may not have said anything about hematomas and junk, but I didn't have to. He already knows about your bleeding risk.”

Ignis opened his mouth to say something but shut it again.

Gladio took the silence as an invitation to continue. “Besides… he’s seen how quickly you still tire in a fight. He knows you’re not quite back to your regular fighting strength. And he knows you won’t speak up about your own health if there's any risk of you being left behind when you’re convinced he needs you. There’s so much riding on this journey. He wants to keep you safe as much as I do.”

Ignis bowed his head and eyed the ground. The anger drained from his face, but it left behind something frangible. Gladio opened his mouth again but Ignis held up a hand. “You’ve said enough,” he whispered.

Then Noct and Prompto returned, having gone full-circle around the balcony. “We don’t see an easy way out of here,” Noct said. “How about we have a break, since nothing seems to want to kill us right away.”

Prompto and Gladio quickly agreed, and soon they were passing around protein bars and water bottles that Ignis helpfully conjured. Noct took his and slumped against the wall. He sank to the floor with a heavy sigh. Ignis watched, concern flitting across his face. Prompto and Gladio sat on either side of Noct, but Ignis, with his own protein bar and water in hand, walked around to the other side of the balcony. He found a loose stone where a section of the balustrade had crumbled and sat, facing away from the others.

“What’s with Iggy?” Prompto asked around a mouthful of protein bar. “He’s been crabby ever since we came in here.”

“He’ll be fine,” Noct said, and unwrapped his own bar.

Gladio picked at the label of his water bottle and frowned.

Prompto swallowed and poked Noct in the shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It sure hurt, though.” He rubbed a hand across his ribcage.

Gladio blanched. “Noct, I’m--”

“Don’t apologize,” Noct interrupted.

“No, I need to. I’m your Shield, and I… wasn’t there when you needed me.”

Noct eyed him. “I guess that’s what Specs is pissed about? My getting hurt?”

Gladio clenched his teeth. “Yeah,” he said. “Thinks I'm breaking my oath, putting his needs before yours.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I'm kinda glad you're keeping an eye out for him.”

“Yeah, well… I don't think he agrees. And… I can't protect you both. I'm gonna have to be more careful.” He twisted the cap off his water bottle and took a long draw, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He leaned back against the wall. “Look, you don't need to lie for me. Iggy knows you didn't ask me to protect him until just now.”

“I wanted to, though,” Noct said in a small voice. “I thought maybe he wouldn't argue with you if he thought I'd told you to. I... don't like seeing two of my best friends going at each other the way you guys have been.”

Gladio exhaled. “Sorry.”

Prompto eyed them solemnly.

Ignis sat on his rock long after they all finished eating.  He didn’t rejoin them until Noct called him back over. After a brief discussion (where Ignis was mostly silent), they decided to rest before going any further. Noct took first watch, since he'd be impossible to wake later. He sat with his back to the balcony railing, his face illuminated by the light of his phone.

The others curled up next to the wall, but Ignis lay tense and awake for a long time -- until Prompto’s breathing came even and Gladio let out the occasional snore. Once they were both clearly asleep, Ignis stood and approached Noct. The prince looked up from his phone.

“Hey,” he whispered. “Can’t sleep?”

Ignis grimaced. “No,” he said. He sat down near Noct, leaving a breath of space between them. He stretched his legs out in front of him, crossed his ankles and folded his arms, his posture rigid. Noct went back to his phone.

Silence stretched between them until Ignis finally broke it, shifting. “Noct, I… feel like I should apologize.”

“If this has to do with earlier, you don't need to.”

Ignis swallowed. “Of course. But I…” he hesitated then took a deep breath. “I fear I have put Gladio in an untenable position.”

Noct raised an eyebrow. “Dunno what you mean.”

Ignis sighed, and drew his legs up. He leaned forward, elbows on knees, and threaded his fingers together -- then stared at them silently for some moments. Noct glanced at him, but said nothing, and continued swiping at his phone.

Finally, Ignis took another deep breath. “Gladio is under the impression that I need his protection. But if that means he is protecting me at your expense… I cannot allow it. He has a responsibility to you and I refuse to get in the way.”

“Gladio knows how to do his job,” Noct said. “He’s been doing it for years.”

“I know that,” Ignis said testily, “But I--”

“He’s beating himself up about it too, just so you know.”

“Of course he is,” Ignis said with a scowl. “He’s well aware of his duties, and he knows what crosses the line.”

“I’ve already told him I was okay with it.”

Ignis went very still. He gave Noct a tormented look. The silence between them stretched like a taut string before Ignis finally opened his mouth again. “I fear my condition has affected your confidence in my abilities,” he said quietly. “I am at a loss as to what I should do to restore your faith in me.”

Noct looked up from his phone. His mouth worked silently for a moment, and then he said, “Specs, I… I have every faith in you.”

“And yet you want Gladio to protect me.”

“... That wasn’t what I--”

“Please, Highness. You needn’t patronize me. I don’t appreciate being coddled. I cannot allow him to put _me_ before his duty to _you_.”

“That’s not--”

“In the morning, you will please make it very clear to him that he is not to endanger you any further.” Ignis stood abruptly and brushed the dust from his trousers. “Now if you don’t mind… I am nowhere near ready for sleep, and would very much like some time to myself. If you’d allow me to finish the watch, you can get some rest, Highness.”

Ignis refused to hear any of Noct’s entreaties after that, and with a few more whispered exchanges, he finally convinced Noct to retire. Noct reluctantly joined Prompto and Gladio by the wall. Before he settled, he cast a glum look back at Ignis. His advisor leaned against the balustrade, staring down the center shaft into the darkness. His posture might have seemed relaxed, if not for the stiff set of his shoulders.

Noct exhaled, then lay with his back to the wall, hopefully to get some rest before morning and all its troubles arrived.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein things get a little dicy...

Morning arrived just as dim and stale-smelling as the previous night. Gladio had the last watch. When he woke them all, the bright “7:00” on their phones was their only clue that the sun might be up somewhere outside of Costlemark.

Ignis distributed dried fruit with their protein bars and water. When he handed over Noct’s, he also gave him a piercing look and a nod in Gladio’s direction, a reminder of their discussion. Noct ‘hmmph’ed at him, but grabbed his food and then took Gladio by the elbow and mumbled something about finding a way down. They took their time circumnavigating the balcony, and by the time they got back, Gladio’s face looked like he’d eaten a lemon.

Noct acted like he didn’t notice. “There’s that broken spot in the railing,” he said, and gestured to where Ignis had been sitting the night before. “I think we can drop down to the lower level from there.”

“What does it look like down there?” Prompto asked.

“Dark.”

Prompto punched him softly in the shoulder. “Dude,” he said.

“The next level down looks like the bottom of the shaft,” Ignis said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “It appears to be somewhat metallic rather than stone, but it should be solid enough. We’ll probably be attacked by something right away, so we need to be prepared.”

Gladio said nothing, but scowled at Ignis, his lips parted slightly like he wanted to say something.

Ignis returned his scowl with a determined stare of his own. “Gladio, I think you should probably go first.”

“Right,” Gladio said.

They finished their meager breakfast, and then clustered around the broken stone -- shattered in a way that looked as though something very large (that they desperately wanted to avoid) had smashed it. Gladio leaned out over the empty space, angling his light to gauge the distance. Then he jumped down. He hit the floor with a controlled roll, ending on his feet, sword in hand. Daemons rose from the stone with a hiss, and the others quickly dropped down to join him.

The fight was swift, and before the daemon miasma settled back into the creases of the floor, they moved to the huge, bronze sunburst door and were on their way down the next hall.

The passageways and rooms began to blur together, the fights shorter as the four of them grew accustomed to fighting the variety of daemons. Gladio kept closer to Noct now, but that didn't stop him from watching Ignis, checking his location during each battle. Ignis was more careful -- almost holding himself back, flinging his daggers from a position near Prompto when he wasn't launching forward with his polearm. He still managed to sustain bleeding wounds often, and required potions after nearly every skirmish. Gladio’s scowl grew darker with each potion.

They paused in surprise when they crossed through a doorway onto a wide descending ramp. On the inside, it wrapped around a circular inner wall. On the other side, a waist-high railing protected them from a vast drop. They tried shining their lights down to see what they could see, but the beams lost themselves in shadow. They couldn’t see the bottom. A guttural rumble drifted up from the darkness below.

“You hear that?” Prompto whispered.

“Yeah,” Gladio said. He leaned his hands on the railing and peered down. “Sounds like trouble.”

There was nothing else to do than descend.

So they did. They plowed through Bussemands and bombs and flan spawn that bubbled up from the floor as they passed, pausing only when Ignis had to wipe blood out of his eyes from a particularly vicious slash. By the time the ramp leveled out, Ignis’s face was pale. They passed around water bottles and took stock.

“We're already low on potions,” Ignis said bitterly.

“You keep using them,” Gladio said.

Ignis winced and turned away.

“It's okay, Specs,” Noct said. “ Don't hold back if you need them.”

“Of course, Highness,” he said, but the regretful tone threading through his voice suggested that he wished it wasn't necessary.

“How are we doing on the stronger stuff?” Prompto asked.

“We have a good number of elixirs still,” Ignis said. “There are a handful of ethers in case Noct’s magic runs low. One phoenix down, it looks like.” His mouth twisted. They'd been focused on restocking the smaller curatives, since they were sure to need more of them. As a result, they had neglected the stronger, more expensive items -- but there was nothing to be done about it now.

“Great,” Gladio muttered. “Nobody die, okay?”

Prompto laughed nervously. “With ya there, big guy,” he said.

A look over the railing showed nothing; they still couldn’t see the bottom. The ramp continued ahead, wrapping around the gradual curve of the inner wall. They followed it to another doorway opening into a bridge. Crumbled stone littered the floor. It looked quiet enough -- and the door at the other end of the bridge looked promising.

“We're getting close! I can feel it! “ Prompto said, and started to charge ahead, but Ignis grabbed his arm.

“Careful,” He said, eyeing the shadows.

Prompto swallowed. “Oh... yeah,” he said shakily.

The four of them crossed the span in a cluster. Everything looked fine for a moment. When they reached the halfway point, a sudden gathering of darkness curdled up in front of the doorway at the end of the bridge. They paused, all of them summoning their weapons. The boiling miasma surged upward, until it took form in a shadow taller than any of them -- certainly taller than any of the daemons they had yet encountered in Costemark. The miasma dripped away from its robe and poured off the downturned brim of its wide straw hat.

“Yojimbo,” Ignis hissed.

Around its feet a handful of goblins capered. They would normally be mere annoyances, but with the added threat of the yojimbo, they all had the potential to be very deadly.

“Watch out, guys,” Gladio said, and hefted his greatsword to his shoulder.

They had encountered a yojimbo before, by itself, on one of their hunts. A yojimbo alone had been hard enough. Unlike the skittering of the goblins or the lumbering of the Bussemands, a yojimbo’s moves were calculated -- it was a true swordsman, and its blade was lethal.

The goblins at the yojimbo’s feet launched themselves forward at once, and for a moment, the four companions were occupied with _them_ , all the while trying to watch the yojimbo’s movements as it slowly advanced.

Prompto wailed when one of the goblins grasped at his arm. He kicked it away, and then emptied his revolver into it. While he reloaded, Ignis took another one out just as it was grabbing at Gladio. Then Gladio yelled “Look sharp!” as the yojimbo pulled his sword back for a swing.

Noct took the blow. Their blades ground together and then shrieked as they slid off one another. Noct grunted and fell back. Gladio caught him with his free arm, then held his greatsword up to block the yojimbo’s next strike.

Ignis, meanwhile, lobbed his daggers with deadly precision, piercing as many of the scrambling goblins as he could. His throws slowed the goblins enough for Prompto to pick them off easily. They needed to handle the goblins so that Noct and Gladio could focus on the more serious threat of the yojimbo -- and once the goblins were out of the way, they would just have one target. It looked promising. The yojimbo already listed heavily to one side.

Noct flung his sword in a warp strike that landed square in the yojimbo’s chest. It lurched underneath his weight, and fell one knee. He and Gladio quickly finished it off.

Prompto pumped his fist with a triumphant “Yes!” and even Ignis allowed himself a small smile. Just a couple more goblins left.

The two of them were so focused on their targets that they failed to notice the miasma bubble up behind them. A small chittering noise made Prompto glance back, and his eyes went wide. “Uh, Ignis…?” he said in alarm.

Ignis turned… and then they were overrun by a new wave of goblins scrabbling at them. Behind those rose a second yojimbo.

Ignis cursed loudly.

The next few moments were a nightmare. Noct and Gladio had to fight through the wave of goblins, while Ignis and Prompto, crowded in by the things, struggled to back away from the new yojimbo. The impossibly tall daemon slowly advanced on them, pushed at the hilt of its sword with a thumb, and grasped the hilt, prepared to swing.

Ignis pushed a goblin away with a dagger to its face and traded his blades for a polearm to block -- but not soon enough.

The yojimbo’s swing caught Ignis in the chest. He flew against the bridge wall and hit hard, his head banging against the stone with a sickening thunk. He fell to the ground, limp, and let out a breathy groan.

“Ignis!” Noct yelled, and pushed between the daemon and his advisor, his sword raised to catch the yojimbo’s next swing.

Then Gladio intercepted the yojimbo’s attack. “Help Ignis,” he said, his voice rough. He braced an arm against his blade and pushed the yojimbo back. It staggered before planting its stance again.

Noct sprinted to Ignis’s side.

The yojimbo’s blade had slashed Ignis’s button-up across the front. The fabric already stuck to blood welling up from the long wound across his chest. The dark stain steadily grew, and Ignis lay too still. Noct’s trembling hands hovered above his advisor’s shoulder.

“Potion, Noct! Give him a potion!” Prompto shouted, and then grunted as he summoned his massive circular saw and swung it through the mass of swarming goblins.

Noct fumbled a potion out of the armiger and snapped it against Ignis’s chest. The bleeding slowed as the slash knit itself back together, and Noct breathed a heavy sigh. Ignis tensed and sat up quickly, glasses askew -- then hissed, and pressed his palm into one eye.

Noct pressed a hand against his shoulder. “You okay?”

Ignis started to nod, but hissed again. “My head hurts,” he said.

“Could use a little help here!” Prompto’s voice was high and thin with tension.

Ignis stood, straightened his glasses and summoned his daggers again. At Noct’s questioning look, he nodded, and Noct sprinted away to support Gladio against the yojimbo. Ignis, meanwhile, aimed his daggers at the goblins that had swarmed around Prompto. The creatures gave wide berth thanks to Prompto swinging the circular saw about, but still managed to dart in between Prompto’s swings, taking swipes at him. Prompto’s arms were covered with gashes from their claws.

Ignis had not lost his accuracy, and between his piercing daggers and Prompto’s swings of the saw, they dealt with the daemons quickly. That left the yojimbo. Noct and Gladio had cornered it on the far end of the bridge. One of its arms hung useless at its side, but it still held its sword, ready to swing again.

Prompto released his huge saw and drew out his revolver again. He took the shot, firing between Noct’s and Gladio’s shoulders, and the yojimbo pitched backward into the wall. In that moment, Noct and Gladio swung their swords. The yojimbo shrieked and dissipated into darkness.

Ignis wobbled on his feet and gasped, pressing a hand to his forehead. Prompto yelped, dropped his gun back into the armiger, and leapt to Ignis’s side. Ignoring his own wounds, he wrapped an arm around Ignis’s back to brace him until he found his feet again.

“You okay?” Prompto said, one hand centered between Ignis’s shoulder blades.

“I’ll be fine,” Ignis said.

Gladio stared hard at Ignis as he and Noct approached. “You hit pretty hard,” he said.

“I’m fine, Gladio.” Ignis rubbed the back of his head. “Noct was right there with a potion.”

“If you’re sure. We could still turn back.”

“But we’re so close,” Noct said, low and petulant. Gladio shot him a poisonous look.

“It will take half a day to get out of here as it is,” Ignis said. “Let’s see this through.”

“... If you say so.” Gladio sounded unsure, but he started forward with long strides. He paused at Ignis’s side. “Say something if your headache gets worse. Or if there’s anything else you need.”

“You know I will,” Ignis scoffed.

“I don’t.” Gladio met Ignis’s eyes, mouth a grim line. “So you’d better.”

 


	16. Chapter 16

At the end of the bridge, another ramp descended down in a sharp spiral. They clustered at the top of it and took a quick breather. Prompto got a potion for his wounded arms, and sighed with relief as the slices healed up under the green glow.

Ignis plucked mournfully at his slashed and bloodstained shirt. Noct eyed him. “You could change, you know,” he said.

“Doubtless only to have another perfectly good shirt ruined,” Ignis grumbled. “I think I'll wait until I'm not expecting an attack around every corner.” He leaned against the doorframe, pinched the bridge of his nose, and gave a sharp exhale.

Noct looked at him. “Seriously,” he said with a chuckle, “Did Prompto spit on your breakfast bar? It’s like you’re having a bad _week_ or something.”  

Ignis shot him a cool look.

Noct’s smile melted. “Do you need another potion?” he asked, his voice low and worried.

“I'm fine,” Ignis said. “My head just hurts.”

“That's not a good sign, Iggy,” Gladio said. “I really think you should--”

“I’m not going to deprive someone else of a curative--” and Ignis gestured to Prompto “--when I’m _fine.”_

Prompto looked down at himself and back up at Ignis, his expression puzzled. He patted his chest absently. Gladio, on the other hand, glowered at Ignis and opened his mouth to argue.

Ignis didn’t give him a chance. “The sooner we get through all this,” he said, “the sooner we can get out of here. Let’s go.” He turned away and started down the ramp.

Gladio followed close on his heels. “Ignis, wait--!”

Bussemands set upon them almost at once. Gladio lunged past Ignis and plowed into them with a roar. Noct and Prompto followed closely, and the four of them scrambled down the ramp. They struggled to stay together. As soon as they downed one daemon, another popped up in its place. Still, they advanced carefully, and finally cut through all the Bussemands and made it to the bottom. Noct and Prompto jogged through the door at the end of the ramp and into the larger empty room beyond, but Ignis breathed heavily and slumped against the wall. He wiped blood from his forehead, and winced.

Gladio scowled at him. “Aren’t you gonna take another potion?”

“We can’t afford it,” Ignis said. He pushed away from the wall and passed into the large room in the wake of the other two. Gladio followed closely, matching him step for step. “We must be nearly through,” Ignis continued, “and there’s still--”

“Ignis, stop being stupid,” Gladio snapped. “We can’t afford for you to pass out from blood loss.” He pulled an elixir from the armory and started to hand it towards Ignis. “We have enough. Humor me, please.”

Ignis batted Gladio’s hand away, then hissed through his teeth and pressed his palm against his forehead.

“It’s getting worse?” Gladio said, voice tinged with alarm.

“Nevermind me--”

“Hey guys, look at this!” Noct called, and beckoned at them with a hand. He and Prompto crouched over a strange glow in the stone floor. Ignis immediately walked over, hand still pressed to his head.

“Hey, Ignis, wait,” Gladio said, sending the elixir back into the armory and jogging to follow.  

Just as Ignis and Gladio approached, Noct set a palm to the center of the glow -- and with a thunk, the square of stone they stood on began to sink.

“Whoa!” Prompto breathed.

Soon enough, they were twelve feet deep and still falling.

Then Ignis’s whole body went tense.

He keeled into Gladio, who had just enough presence of mind to grab him before he fell to the floor. “Ignis…?”

Instead of answering, Ignis began to tremble and then thrash.

“ _Shit,_ ” Gladio snarled, and tightened his grasp under Ignis’s shoulders to keep from dropping him.

“What’s going on?” Noct said, his voice rising in panic. His breath hitched. “Ignis!?”

Ignis continued to spasm and his eyelids fluttered. Gladio carefully lowered him to the floor, crouching as he did. He lay Ignis on his side, then sat, and cushioned Ignis’s head with his thigh. “Quick, Noct, take his glasses,” he said.

Noct’s hands were shaking as much as Ignis was, but he still managed to remove the glasses from Ignis’s face and hand them to Prompto.

“Gladio…?” Noct said, his voice rough and helpless. “ _What’s going on?_ ”

“His head took a bad hit,” Gladio growled. His mouth twisted. “That potion you gave him wasn’t enough. He’s probably been bleeding into his brain. _Idiot,”_ Gladio hissed, his face tight with urgency. Noct stared at Ignis with wide-eyed horror. Prompto hovered over them all, cradling Ignis’s glasses to his chest and weeping silently.

“He needs a hospital _now,”_ Gladio said, “and there’s no way we can get to one fast enough.”

Ignis’s tremors eased. “C'mon, buddy,” Gladio said. He rolled Ignis onto his back, keeping his head in his lap, and patted Ignis's cheek. Ignis did not open his eyes, but lay limp and still. Too still. “Noct,” Gladio barked, and beckoned at him. “Phoenix down. Quick.”

Noct fumbled the precious orange plume from their curatives and pressed it against Ignis's chest with trembling hands. It burst under his fingers, and its red fire settled into Ignis's skin. For a moment, nothing happened. Then Ignis gasped, jerked awake, and sat up in a rush. He gingerly pressed his fingers into the floor. He blinked at Noct, his face pale, his eyes wide and glassy. His mouth worked soundlessly.

The stone beneath them lurched to a stop.

Noct rocked back onto his butt. He rested his arms in his knees and let his head hang between them. “Ignis,” he said, his voice thin and small. “don't you _dare_ scare me like that again.”

“I'm… sorry, Noct,” Ignis whispered.

Prompto turned away, still clutching Ignis’s glasses. He gulped back a sob and rubbed at his eyes with an arm.

Relief washed over Gladio's face, but it didn't stay. It settled into angular fury. He stood abruptly and stalked to a wall. He cocked his arm like he was going to punch it -- but placed his open palm against it instead. He leaned there in silence for several heartbeats, then rubbed his other hand over his face and through his hair. When he turned back, his expression was carefully blank.

“Now what?” he said.

Noct looked up to the square where the stone surrounding them opened into the darkness of the empty room above. “I could warp us all out of here but I’m not sure I can take all of us at once,” he said.

“But…” Ignis said, his voice sounding strangely lost. “The Royal Arm--”

“Can wait,” Noct interrupted. He looked at Ignis, his eyes flashing in the glow of his light. “We don’t even know it’s down here; the hunters were just guessing based on what they found at the Tomb of the Tall. But if it is, it’s not going anywhere. Even if we have to go to Altissia before we can get it, we can always come back. _Later_ . When you aren’t in danger of _dying_ every time some daemon knocks you into a wall.”

Gladio folded his arms and nodded.

Ignis looked between the two of them, then hung his head. His shoulders slumped. “As you wish,” he said.

“Right.” Noct said, and stood. He offered a hand to Ignis, but Ignis was staring at nothing, brows furrowed. “Okay,” Noct said, and looked up again. “I should probably warp Gladio up first, then Ignis, then Prompto…”

Prompto sniffed and gave a wet chuckle. “What, you’re going to leave me down here by my lonesome?” he whined.

“ _Somebody’s_ going to be left here alone for a minute, or up there alone for a minute, and you’re not the one with serious health issues here,” Noct countered. “Plus, I need to get Muscle Man up there first, before I wear myself out and have to make him climb the bare wall by himself.”

“Thanks, Princess,” Gladio said. “Glad you’re looking out for me.” He shoved Noct in the shoulder. Noct staggered backward and choked out a laugh he clearly wasn’t expecting. He steadied himself and cleared his throat. “Ready?” he said.

Gladio nodded. “Let’s get out of this hell hole,” he said, and held out his arm.

“Gladio…”

They both turned.

Ignis stood and dusted at the front of his stained and ruined shirt. His high cheekbones were pink, his brows knit together. Without his glasses, his face looked vulnerable. Prompto hurried forward and handed them over. Ignis settled them on his face with a quiet “thank you”. His mouth parted, but he said nothing for a moment, his gaze shifting uncomfortably. Finally he met Gladio’s eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I ignored you. All your warnings were justified, and I--”

“Can it, Iggy,” Gladio said. “We can talk about all that when we get out of here.”

“No, I can’t let this go.” Ignis straightened his glasses. “I’ve been so focused on how much my health had improved that I neglected--”

Gladio had sauntered over to him while he was talking and at that moment thumped his hand down on Ignis’s shoulder. Ignis jumped and gave a small “ah!”

“Just promise me you won’t die on us again,” Gladio said, “and we’ll call it good.”

Ignis shook his head. “I--”

“How about this, then,” Gladio said, and pulled Ignis into a hug. “When we get out of here, you owe me ramen,” he said. “The good stuff.”

Ignis’s eyes were wet. “I have just the recipe,” he murmured into Gladio’s shoulder.

Then Prompto tackle-hugged Ignis from behind, wrapping his arms as far around both of them as he could, and buried his face between Ignis's shoulders. He was sobbing again. Noct put a hand on Ignis's shoulder and leaned into him. His eyes were wet, too.

They finally pulled apart, all of them sniffling and looking away from each other. Noct cleared his throat. “All right, let's get out of here,” he said. He wrapped a hand around Gladio’s wrist and summoned his sword. He started to lean against the wall to get a better angle for his throw.

“Wait, Noct--” Prompto yelped.

But it was too late. Noct’s elbow made contact with the bright, glowing center of the square stone, and the wall shifted. Above them, the ceiling began to close shut.

_“No!”_ Noct gasped.

Behind him, the wall opened up -- and the familiar hiss of daemons bubbled up from the growing gap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmmm, group hugs FTW! But they never last long enough.
> 
> I've made real ramen from scratch before, and I can pretty much guarantee that Ignis will have to spend a couple days in a hotel room with a kitchen to do it. All the simmering, for hours. But it is so, so good. Something for Gladio to look forward to, I guess? Maybe? If they get through Costlemark in one piece, anyway. >:3


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their escape route gone, the boys have to make it through Costlemark and find the way back out again...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again with an update! Thanks so much for the kudos and comments; they give me life! 
> 
> Not gonna lie, I am bummed about Square Enix's FFXV-2nd-anniversary announcements. Worst Birthday Announcement Ever. But I love the game we got, and I love the fandom and it's not going away, and neither am I, so. I'll be happy to play Episode Ardyn, and I'll be glad for whatever extras come out of the whole mess, and I hope the developers go on to make many other new games to delight (infuriate?) us in the future.
> 
> I am doing a modified NaNoWriMo (with a smaller daily word count goal), and I'm focusing my writing on this and a couple other FFXV WIPs so hopefully my next update will not be quite as much of a wait! I'm posting my word count progress over on Tumblr [@avianscribe](https://avianscribe.tumblr.com/).

For a moment, they all stared at the roof closing over their heads. Then Gladio yanked his wrist out of Noct’s grip and shoved him. “Take Ignis and go,” he said.

Noct stumbled into Ignis and shook his head. “And leave you and Prompto trapped down here? No way!”

“Don’t argue, just do it!” Gladio snapped. “The two of you could still get out!”

“No!” and Noct’s eyes were wet again. “I’m not leaving anyone behind!” He clenched his fists.

Gladio looked up again at the shrinking gap and back at Noct, eyes wide and frantic. His face was writ with urgency, and his shoulders quivered. But Noct couldn’t have flung his sword through the remaining space. The stone closed with a grating rumble. Gladio’s frustrated roar contrasted sharply with the slimy hissing sounds of the gelatins that emerged from the opening wall behind them. Then for a moment they were all occupied by subduing the daemons instead, trying their best to counter their moves in the restricted space.

It was not an easy fight. Noct and Gladio bumped elbows in the first rush, knocking each other’s strikes wide. Then Gladio’s greatsword clanged against the stone wall and he cursed. “Can’t swing a sword in here!” he bellowed.

Ignis blinked dumbly at the flan spawn, his arms shaking. He did not seem to have the presence of mind to pull out a weapon. Prompto pushed him back into a corner, shielding him with his own body while he took shots through every opening the others gave him.

Ignis allowed himself to be protected. He slumped against the wall, not even summoning his daggers. He let the others take the oncoming daemons, and instead, pressed his hands against the wall and stared, pale and wide-eyed, at the chaos around him.

The last gelatin slumped under Gladio’s sword with a gurgle and melted away, and everyone rushed to Ignis’s side.

“You okay, Igs?” Prompto said hesitantly, putting a hand on Ignis’s shoulder.

Ignis stared at him, eyes like saucers behind his glasses. “I…” He shuddered, grimaced, put a hand to his face, and slid down the wall.

“That’s a no,” Gladio said.

Ignis’s breathing became rough and unsteady and fast, and Gladio knelt in front of him and waved the others away.

“Hey, Iggy,” he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Gotta breathe with me.” He took the hand that wasn’t covering Ignis’s face and pressed it to his chest. Ignis’s fingers curled into Gladio’s jacket. “Slowly. In… Out…”

Eyes wide with alarm, Noct backed away quickly and knocked into Prompto. “What the--”

Gladio glanced over his shoulder at him. “Give us some room here,” Gladio said. “Try finding the way out.” Then he focused back on Ignis, whose breath hissed through his bared teeth.

Prompto tugged at Noct’s elbow, and they turned away, though Noct kept looking back over his shoulder. Gladio’s low murmurs and Ignis’s gasping breaths filled their stone prison. When they were a few steps away, Prompto leaned in to Noct and whispered, “Since when does Ignis get panic attacks?”

“Is _that_ what this is?” Noct said.

Prompto nodded pensively. “Looks like it to me, anyway.”

“I’ve never seen Ignis like this,” Noct said in a shaky voice.

“Dude, he’ll be okay,” Prompto said, putting a hand on Noct’s shoulder. His voice sounded more tired than optimistic. “He’s got us, and good support helps a lot. I’ve had plenty of…” He trailed off. “Anyway. Let’s give ‘em a moment. Gladio’s good at this.”

“How do you know that?”

Prompto drew his shoulders up, then let them droop. “I… may or may not have seen him take care of people’s panic attacks before? In training?”

Noct eyed him, and Prompto gave a nervous laugh. Then he cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s look for this ‘way out’ that’s supposed to be around here,” he said. The words were probably supposed to sound cheery, but he just sounded strained.

Noct said nothing.

A quick survey of the rectangular space revealed little, except another glowing spot on the floor (“Don’t touch it,” Prompto said, when they noticed it). By the time they had circled back around to Ignis’s corner, Ignis's breathing had calmed, and he was answering Gladio's whispered questions with curt nods or shakes of his head.

As they approached, Gladio looked up at them… and Ignis looked away.

“We okay?” Prompto asked.

“We will be,” Gladio said. He glanced at Ignis.

“Enough of this,” Ignis said, and put a hand against the wall behind him to push himself up.

“Hey now,” Gladio said, and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Nothing’s trying to kill us; just… sit there a moment.”

“We don’t have time,” Ignis protested.

“We have until our water runs out,” Gladio said, “I’d rather not wait that long, but a few minutes won't hurt us.”

Ignis gave a shaky nod and sank to the floor again.

“I think we found the way out,” Noct said, and gestured to the glittering spot. “We shouldn’t touch it until we're ready, though. We'll need to be prepared for a fight.”

Ignis drew his knees up, wrapped his arms around them, and hid his face in his thighs.

Prompto sat down beside him. When Prompto's shoulder first made contact with his, Ignis tensed -- but only for a moment, and then he relaxed into the casual contact. Gladio, face like a storm cloud, leaned back on his arms and unfolded his knees to stretch his legs in front of him. Noctis stood behind Gladio and frowned, looking utterly lost.

“So what now?” Prompto ventured, his voice timid.

Gladio’s mouth twisted. “Now that Prince Charmless here missed his chance, we’ll just have to muscle our way through,” he growled.

Noct made a small, pained noise, and Prompto nervously glanced up at him.

“Enough, Gladio,” Ignis murmured into his knees. “That window of opportunity is gone now, and we… can’t afford…” His breath hiccupped oddly, and everyone else looked at him, but he still huddled in on himself.

Noct’s face scrunched up. “Specs, I--”

“Save your apologies, Highness…” Ignis finally raised his head and met Noct’s eyes. His own were red-rimmed and pinched in an atypical way . “I need only to… to rest for a moment.” He let his head drop to his knees again.

“That would be good,” Gladio said. “Phoenix downs take a lot of of a body. Between that and everything from before…” He trailed off.

They all looked away from each other, not wanting to contemplate what had happened before. Not wanting to consider that they might have to watch Ignis in the throes of a seizure again.

They gave Ignis some time to rest -- which he actually did, eventually drowsing off against Prompto’s shoulder, glasses slightly askew. Noct slumped against the wall on Ignis’s other side, fidgeting with the straps on his trousers and occasionally glancing at Ignis, his face drawn with concern.

Gladio, in the meantime, took stock of their curatives. No phoenix downs now, and… “I thought Ignis said we had a ‘good number’ of elixirs left,” he grumbled.

“He did,” Noct said. “Why?”

“We have five. That’s not a ‘good number’, that’s a ‘few’.”

“As long as it’s enough to get us out of here,” Noct replied.

“It might not be, since you didn’t take him out of here when you could have.” Gladio nodded toward Ignis and shot Noct a pointed look of disapproval.

Noct stiffened and scowled right back at him. “I wasn’t going to leave you two down here on your own,” he said, his voice soft but clipped with anger. “Not when all four of us are--”

“We could have handled ourselves. But now all of us are stuck here, thanks to you.”

“Would you guys just…” Prompto cut in, voice low. His face was twisted with quiet misery. “I mean, you’re gonna wake Iggy, and…”

“Too late,” Ignis murmured. He straightened and yawned, then scrubbed both hands over his face under his glasses. “If you wish to bicker, why not save it until we're out of this death trap? We need to cooperate, and we can't do it if any of our members are at each other's throats.”

“Sorry,” Noct said.

Gladio just grunted, staring daggers at Noct.

Ignis sighed, and then pushed himself up. “I’m as rested as I’ll get in here; we might as well see this through.”

Gladio scrambled up, too. “Are you sure?”

Ignis regarded him coolly. “What other options do we have? Stay in this little space until you two get stir-crazy enough to do each other an injury? I’d rather take my chances with the daemons.”

Gladio’s face darkened and Noct’s flushed, and they looked away from each other. Prompto just looked at the floor and scuffed his toe on the stone. Ignis pushed his way between them all and only hesitated for a breath before he stepped firmly on the glowing bit of stone. The floor beneath him began to shift to the side with him still on it.

Gladio cursed and launched himself down the shaft. The others followed, Ignis came last, and they downed the Ereshkigals that spawned from the floor with ease this time, Ignis taking the last with a strike from his daggers. They made it through that room without damage. The next glowing spot opened a wall. The group of Bussemands behind it did not go down quite as easily, and Prompto had to take a potion for a broken arm. It was a clean break, but he bit back a pained cry when Gladio held his upper arm still while the potion did its work, and afterwards, Prompto cradled the arm like it still hurt, but he insisted he was okay to go.

And so it went, through passage after passage after unending passage, and the farther they got the more worn out they became. They conserved their stronger curatives but drained potion after potion until they had five left, then two. Even with Ignis being as careful as possible, hovering behind even Prompto at times, it wasn’t enough -- all of them were taking hits. Seven rooms in, they paused to rest for a minute, and they sat in a line against the wall, trying to catch their breath before they continued. The glow in the stone floor glared balefully at them.

Ignis passed around protein bars and more water, and they ate wearily.

“So many twists and turns…” Noct moaned. “I can’t even tell where we are anymore.”

“Not that it matters much down here, but…” Prompto said. “It would be nice to not feel lost.”

Ignis gave a shaky sigh. He leaned his head against the wall, his eyes closed. “We’re doing all right,” he murmured. “We’ll get through this.” 

“We’d better,” Gladio said. “Because when all this is over, I have a couple asses to kick.”

“I trust you don’t mean me,” Ignis said.

“Who says I don’t?” Gladio muttered. Ignis answered with an icy stare.

Noct heaved a sigh and stood. “We ready yet?

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Prompto said, rubbing his once-broken arm again.

“Right,” Ignis said, and took a deep breath, then nodded to Noct.

Noct stepped on the glowing spot.

The floor slid from underneath them, and this time, there was a long drop. They fell -- Gladio and Ignis managed to roll into fighting stance as they hit the floor. Noct almost did, but Prompto landed badly, twisting one ankle. He hissed and rubbed it and scrambled to his feet and then fell with a yelp. But he waved off offers of a potion (“We’re going to need those,” he said). He laced his boot tighter, and then stood, testing the ankle with a couple hobbling steps. Then they all peered about the empty corridor they found themselves in.

“At least there aren’t anymore of those square stone rooms here,” Gladio breathed.

There was no more glowing stone, either, and the passage yawned open before them, leading away into darkness.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the room in Costlemark. Yes, THAT room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, NaNoWriMo, for helping me get more words on this fic...! And thanks to my first-reader for easing my anxiety about the action sequences; I just wasn't sure it read well, and boy it helps to have someone else look at things, just to make sure. >_<

They huddled together and pressed forward, until the passage opened into a larger room. Then Gladio stuck an arm out to stop everyone. He eyed the gaping darkness in front of them. “Hang back a sec, guys,” he said. “Let me go first and check it out.” He stepped out into the room. 

Noct shook his head. “Hey!” he said, and marched after Gladio. “No way am I letting you get ahead; I don’t trust this place.” 

Prompto made a small, distressed noise and limped after Noct; and Ignis, not to be left alone, followed close behind. 

Gladio turned on his heel and folded his arms. “This kind of defeats the purpose of my checking things out first,” he said. 

“Who cares,” Noct said, and smacked Gladio’s chest with the back of his hand. “I’d hate for you to get caught by something out here all by yourself.” 

Gladio frowned. “Great. Now we’re all out here, ready to be trapped by whatever it is that spawns in large dark rooms.” Irritation laced Gladio’s voice -- and something else, something desperate-sounding. 

Noct ignored him. He aimed his lamp around the room instead. The beam petered out in the murk before it hit anything. 

They ventured into the darkness, listening carefully for any sound besides the echo of their footsteps. The floor of the room was mostly uniform stone, except for one carved square, identical to the square floors in the labyrinth they’d just navigated. But the stone wasn’t glowing. They pressed on… and when they reached the center of the room, a hissing started. 

“Uh oh,” Prompto said. “ _ That _ doesn’t sound good. Noooooct!” His voice spiked with fear and he grabbed at Noct's arm.

There was a grinding, a gurgling, and out of the floor around them crawled not one but  _ two  _ towering suits of glowing red armor, brandishing flaming swords -- and beyond them, hoards of flan. In the far corner a snaking shadow looked like it might be some kind of naga.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Gladio yelled. Ignis paled, Prompto gave a panicky laugh, and Noct let out a decidedly unkingly string of expletives. 

As a body they ran, with Prompto limping at the rear. Noct grabbed his arm to help him keep up… but there was nowhere for them to flee. Instead, they booked it to the outer wall of the room and skirted along the perimeter. The flan oozed after them, and the giants’ rumbling steps made even Prompto pick up his limping pace. 

The four of them ran along the wall until they came to a low gap in it and nearly tripped over each other. “Quickly,” Ignis shouted, and they all crawled through -- first Noct, then Ignis, then Prompto, with Gladio bringing up the rear. They emerged into a room and collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath, while the daemons on the other side of the wall roared impotently at them. 

Prompto rolled over onto his rump with a moan, then sat up and rubbed gingerly at his ankle. “What do we do now?” he said. “This place couldn’t possibly be the way out… could it?” 

“Not with our luck,” Noct grumbled, but he still aimed his light around the room, taking in the tree roots and the broken walls. The only thing resembling an exit was a tall door with a complicated-looking lock on the opposite side of the room -- and to judge from the similar doors they’d seen in the other dungeons, there was no way they were getting through that, and no way it was going to be the way out. Noct stalked over and tried the door anyway, just to check, but it didn’t budge.

“What’s the plan now?” Prompto asked.

Gladio heaved a long-suffering sigh. “When have we ever, on this entire trip, had a plan?” he said. 

“There was that one time when we infiltrated that base...” Prompto ventured. “Which one was it…”

“A plan that worked.”

“... Oh. Um.”

Ignis tsked and Noct rolled his eyes.

Then Ignis cleared his throat and said, “Regardless, we can’t stay trapped in here.” He adjusted his glasses. He still looked pale, and his ordinarily-determined expression was pinched with doubt and fatigue. “My guess, if the maze was any indication, is that our exit will involve that square stone out there. We may have to clear the daemons out before we can activate it, though. I suggest we try to pick off some of the lesser daemons before tackling the big ones. See if we can draw some of them closer to where we are. Prompto could aim through the hole in the wall and try to pick them off, one at a time, with less risk of them attacking us.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Prompto said, “but what are we going to do about the giants? We’ve never had to fight them before.”

Ignis sighed. “This is one of those times that I wish the aid of the Astrals was more easily summoned. A bit of Ramuh’s power and they’d go down much more easily.” 

“Yeah, well,” Noct said. “Good luck counting on  _ them  _ for help.” 

Ignis paused, holding a finger against his chin. “Noct, have you any of those blizzara flasks we made before?” 

“I think I may still have one,” he said, and his expression went vague as he focused on rummaging through the Armiger. “Yeah, there’s one left.”

“Well, that’s a start. If we can get both the giants in one place, we could do at least a little damage with that magic, and then we’d get a start at taking them out.” 

“What about the naga?” 

“If memory serves, they’re weak to fire -- if it’s truly a naga, and not a different variant,” Ignis said. “Do you have any fire spells left?”

Again Noct’s eyes unfocused as he mentally rummaged around the Armiger. “I have a couple Firas. It’s…” He sighed. “It’s not much. Sorry.” 

“At least it’s something,” Ignis said softly. “All right, then… we’ll make do with what we have. Those giants are probably our biggest threat, but there’s more of the flans, so we’ll focus on them first. Prompto, we’ll need that machine you found that creates a gravity well.”

Prompto nodded, and fished out the Gravisphere. 

“Excellent,” Ignis said. “Use that to gather the flans together, so we can hit them all at once. They’re easily within our reach, and once we have cleared them out, we can worry about the giants.”

“Can do,” Prompto said, determination edging out the weariness in his voice.

“It will take time and patience, but we’ll make it through, if we’re careful.” Ignis sighed. “Right. Are we ready?”

They all looked at each other. Noct and Prompto nodded, but Gladio frowned. 

“How you feeling, Iggy?” he asked. 

“I’m… out of sorts,” Ignis admitted. “But there’s nothing to do but work through it. We need to get Noct out of here, Royal Arm or no… and we need to be better prepared when we return.”

“ _ If _ we return,” Gladio amended.

“Don’t talk like that,” Prompto said. “We’ve gotta get Noct his weapon!” 

“Not at the risk of our lives, we don’t,” Gladio said.

They all gathered at the wall. Outside, they could see the mass of flans still swarming outside the hole as though waiting for them to emerge -- as if their custardy bodies had minds and reason. Noct and Prompto looked at each other and nodded. “Let’s do this,” Noct said. 

Prompto shot the Gravisphere through the hole. The black ball flew a good twenty feet into the room, where it floated and buzzed and pulled the flans in. They floundered around futilely, trying to escape the gravity well. Then Noct flung a flask into the milling daemons, which erupted in flame as soon as it hit, catching the majority of them on fire. 

Prompto swapped the Gravisphere for a revolver, and started shooting. His bullets could do very little against the fleshy flans, but his shots still whittled away at their already-scorched bodies nonetheless. Ignis also managed a few well-aimed throws with fire-bound daggers, and with patience and time, they were able to eliminate them all. 

But the giants still lurked out there. 

Their creaking and rumbling steps echoed in the large chamber, but they had moved a ways off, and there was no way Prompto’s Gravisphere was going to reach the giants without him leaving the safety of their little room. There was the added trouble of the possible naga somewhere out there, its location unknown… but they had to risk it. There was no getting around it. Otherwise, they were never going to get out of this dungeon.

So with grim determination (and another round of “you okay, Ignis?” which he answered with an unconvincing “I'm fine”) they filed out through the hole in the wall into the larger room again, and took stock of what they could see.

Their lights were insufficient to illuminate much of the large room. They could see in the near distance the glow of the red giants pacing, but nothing else. “Everyone stay together,” Ignis urged, and they moved as one so that Prompto could get in range. As they did so, they scanned the darkness for other threats, but saw little. Finally, Prompto felt he was in range, and he pulled out the Gravisphere and fired a shot. It landed near enough that both giants were pulled to it, rumbling roars the whole way. “Yes!” Prompto crowed.

Noct pulled out the blizzara flask. “Here we go,” he said, and flung it. 

With a blast of cold air, frost climbed up the giants’ armor. The spell did not appear to affect the giants much, but it dimmed the fire of their swords, at the very least. The biting chill of the spell nipped at them all, but they shrugged it off, and worked at the giants from a distance as they did the flan. Between Prompto’s firearms and Ignis’s thrown daggers, it was a battle of attrition. They focused on one of the giants until it was stumbling, chunks of its armor starting to fall away. 

Gladio got tired of the distance game and closed in for some high-impact swings of his greatsword, then dodged the giants’ blows. “Now  _ this  _ is a place you can swing a sword,” he said with a hearty laugh.

The giant staggered to its knees, but wasn’t down yet -- and at this point, Prompto’s gravity well wore off, and both giants were free to move again. The second, less-damaged one, approached with a guttural roar, and prepared to launch a swing -- 

Several things happened at once. Gladio raised his greatsword in an effort to block the powerful swing. Prompto fumbled for the Gravisphere again, so he could try pulling the giant away from them. And something snaked out of the darkness and struck Ignis across the face, knocking him backward. 

“Ignis!” Noct cried.

In the next moment, the red giant’s blow landed, and Gladio grunted as he was thrown back with an ugly slash across his chest. Prompto made a panicked noise, and his Gravisphere shot went wide, missing both giants altogether, and buzzed away uselessly into the darkness. The machine would need to charge again before he could launch another -- but they had much deeper problems now.

Noct rushed to Ignis’s side. He was bleeding profusely from his head, his hair matted and messy, but he was still awake. “Did you hit your head?” Noct asked with urgency. 

“No,” Ignis said. “Aside from the bleeding, I’m fine.” 

“ _ Fine  _ my ass,” Noct hissed, and pulled a potion from the armiger. And then Noct’s light caught something in the shadows -- and he was finally able to see the naga, fierce and hissing in the darkness. It flung its tail out, and Noct raised an arm to block -- the arm that held the potion. The naga’s strike knocked the vial from his grip and it shattered uselessly on the ground. 

“No!” Noct gasped. Then he wrapped an arm around Ignis’s shoulders and phased with him through the Naga’s next strike. 

Meanwhile, Gladio staggered to his feet, but blood flowed freely down his chest, and his face was twisted with discomfort. He summoned his greatsword again and faced the giants, but his posture betrayed his injury.

The injured giant still knelt, leaning on one hand -- but the other one gave a bellow and prepared another swing. Gladio braced again, but looked ready to dodge this time. Prompto, meanwhile, worked his machine, with a soft “Come on, baby,” waiting for the charge to build up to launch another gravity sphere. 

“Fire, Noct,” Ignis said, brushing blood from his eyes. “Do you have any more fire?”

“Yeah,” Noct breathed. He summoned the remaining flask but didn’t throw it -- the naga was too close to them, and activating the spell would catch them all in a firestorm. They needed distance. “Prompto! Got that Gravisphere ready?”

“I’m working on it!” Prompto yelled, his voice laced with panic.

Noct growled. “Not enough time!”

Gladio dodged the giant’s strike, Noct kept his hold on Ignis and phased through more attacks from the Naga, and Prompto at last gave a whoop of triumph and fired his Gravisphere to land centered between the three daemons. It drew them all together. The Naga gave an infuriated shriek and slithered desperately, trying to get away.

Noct tossed the Fira flask and it erupted with blazing fire that licked out ferociously, and the Naga shrieked again, this time in pain. 

“Aww yeah!” Prompto crowed.

“Don't go celebrating yet,” Gladio yelled over the roar of flames. And sure enough, though the Naga writhed, it was not dead -- and though the flames licked up the giants’ armor, they were mostly unaffected. Gladio hesitated to attack with the flames still raging. But Prompto could still shoot; he pulled out his bazooka and fired three rounds into the more-injured giant, and it dissolved with a metallic scream.

Ignis, meanwhile, leaned more heavily on Noct, his face pale. He was no longer bothering to wipe the blood away from his face.

“C'mon, Specs,” Noct muttered, and pulled out an elixir and smashed it over Ignis’s head before he could say anything. 

_ “Noct!” _ Ignis hissed. 

“Not listening,” Noct said, and pulled a pistol from the armiger. The flames were still fierce, and the gravity sphere still held both daemons in place, and it was the perfect moment to strike from a distance, even if the Naga wasn't particularly weak to the attack.

Just as Noct began to fire his rounds into the Naga, the giant balled one of his hands into a fist -- and when he opened it, unleashed a gravity sphere of his own. Prompto’s celebratory crowing returned into yelps as the sphere dragged all four of them across the floor, drawing them painfully toward the giant. They all clawed at the stone to brace themselves and get away, to no avail -- and suddenly they were within the blast radius of the Fira spell, not yet dissipated. The flames started to lick at them and all of them cried out in screams they couldn't hold back. 

It was only seconds, but it seemed like forever before the giant's gravity well faded and allowed them to scramble away -- all of them gasping and patting at their burning clothes. Prompto’s Gravisphere also fizzled out, and the daemons were free -- singed, but not defeated.

“You've gotta be kidding me,” Gladio yelled as he dodged yet another blow from the giant. 

“You said that already,” Noct yelled back. “Be more creative!”

Gladio growled back and summoned his greatsword again. He swung at the giant’s arm. The blow gouged into the armor, but still did too little damage; the thing was like a rock.

Noct hissed when the shaft of the Drain Lance hit his scorched palm, but he grasped it anyway, and launched away from Ignis's side to attack the Naga again. Prompto limped around the periphery, taking shots where he could, but he was clearly flagging.

“Prompto,” Noct yelled, “gotta do it now!” 

“Right,” Prompto panted, and pulled the Gravisphere out again -- but he could barely hold it up, and his arms shook as he charged it and aimed. He still shot true, and the Naga and giant were pulled together again. 

But all of them could barely fight. Ignis knelt on hands and knees, and didn’t even summon his weapon. Gladio’s abs were drenched in blood from his chest wound, Noct’s scalded hands could barely hold his weapon, and though Prompto had traded his machine for a gun, his aim was shaky. Between them all, they could barely do any damage.

The daemons seemed to sense it, and strained at the gravity spell, which eventually fizzled and died. The daemons righted themselves and advanced again. Ignis pushed himself up, and stood on shaky feet but started to keel over almost at once. Noct caught him, but struggled to keep them both upright. Gladio cursed and staggered over to them. Prompto limped towards them as well, and they leaned together, supporting each other. 

“Now what?” Prompto said, voice soft. 

Noct gritted his teeth, eyes wide with panic. He looked in turn at Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto, and then back at the approaching daemons. He squeezed his eyes shut… and when he opened them again, they glowed purple. “Stand back, guys,” he said.

And then the ceiling shattered.


	19. Chapter 19

At least, it _looked_ like the ceiling shattered. Ramuh’s spectral trident crashed through it and pierced the floor, sending cascades of purple lightning arcing through the huge room. They had seen Ramuh’s power before, both above and below ground, so they knew that the Astral’s power could reach even here. The light of it burned into their retinas, blanking their vision for a good few minutes before they could see again in the dark, cavernous room.

The red giant was still there.

It staggered and dropped to one knee with a metallic groan, but it was definitely still there.

They all stared at it for a moment of stunned silence. Then Gladio let out a string of expletives. Ignis tried to push away from Noct and get his feet underneath himself, but Noct pulled him in tighter. “You’re not doing anything right now, Specs,” he said; “Let Gladio take this.”

“But I--”

“No ‘buts!’”

“Thanks for your confidence in me,” Gladio said, but to judge by the tightness in his expression and the way he leaned his greatsword against the ground instead of swinging it up to his shoulder, he was at the limit of his stamina.

Prompto didn’t wait; he pulled out his auto crossbow even though he could barely lift it. He braced it against the ground and started firing bolts into the armor. The giant roared, lurched to its feet, and lifted its sword.

Gladio summoned his shield and put himself between Noct and the giant, and the four of them staggered backwards. The giant swung its fiery sword down, and they all braced themselves. Gladio’s shield caught the brunt of it, but the blow still knocked him backwards into the others… and even though Noct dragged Ignis with him when he dodged, the giant’s blow caught Ignis across the calf and he let out a strangled groan.

They landed in a tangled heap with Prompto yelping at the bottom. Gladio righted himself first and readied his sword while the giant was still recovering from its swing. He poured just enough magic into the swing to create an impulse that finally broke through the giant’s defenses, its armor crashing to the ground in pieces, to be sent back to the miasma from which it spawned.

The room was empty now, and completely dark save for a glowing spot on the floor.

Gladio released his sword back into the armiger and collapsed to his hands and knees.

Noct jerked himself out of the pile of his friends and hefted Ignis off of Prompto. Ignis let himself be pulled, but his breath caught when he moved, and his face was pale, his forehead damp with sweat. Prompto rolled out from under him and knelt behind him, letting Ignis lean back against his chest.

“Ignis, stay with me…!” Noct said, and knelt by Ignis’s leg to get a better look. His trousers were sliced through along the back of the calf, and he had a deep, scorched gouge across the fleshy muscle. Blood ran down his calf, soaking the shredded trousers and the sock underneath, pooling into his shoe and onto the floor beneath him. Noct hissed, and fumbled for a curative. He gasped when the elixir landed in his scalded palm, and he quickly shattered it over Ignis’s leg. A green glow washed over Ignis, and after his wound knit together, he sagged against Prompto, and exhaled softly, finally free from the pain.

The rest of them looked at each other and almost as a body they sank to the floor in a heap. They lay there for some minutes as their breathing calmed, letting the rush of battle fade. Noct sat up first, taking stock of his own injuries and checking the others. The superficial burns he had from the Fira spell would hurt for a while. Prompto was singed as well, and his ankle was still lame. He clutched at his arm as though it still ached from being broken, and his whole body trembled. Gladio’s chest was crusted with dried blood, and his wound still bled in spots. And Ignis…

Ignis was mostly whole, thanks to the elixir Noct had given him, but he was pale, his mussed hair damp with sweat, and he lay still where he had collapsed.

Gladio lurched over and helped him sit up. He coaxed Ignis to drink from one of their water bottles, but he barely finished half of it before his eyes closed on their own, and he slumped against Gladio’s side.

“I guess we’re going to rest here for a bit,” Gladio said. Then he caught sight of Noct gingerly cradling his hands. With a grim look on his face, he pulled out another of their last elixirs and popped it over Noct’s hands before he could protest. “You need it, princess,” he said. Noct scowled, but it was too late to do anything about it.

They didn’t even bother to pull out a blanket, but curled against each other on the hard floor -- and even Gladio slept for a tiny bit, before he shook himself awake and grumbled at himself for letting his vigilance lapse.

He sat up, and adjusted Ignis so his head rested on Gladio’s thigh. Ignis was so fatigued that being moved didn’t wake him. Noct stirred, though, and scrubbed at his face with both hands. He eyed Ignis and sighed.

“I thought he’d be okay,” he said. “I gave him an elixir.”

“He’s not okay,” Gladio murmured, “and he won’t be until we get him out of here and get him to a clinic.” He eyed Noct. “Think about it. He had a hematoma, a seizure, a panic attack… and even with all the potions he’s been taking, how much blood has he lost? Potions heal wounds, but they don’t restore blood. And it’s not like we’ve had regular iron-rich meals down here.”

“We need to get him out of here,” Prompto said softly, then sat up and stretched with a sigh.

Gladio shifted and winced. “We need to get _all_ of us out of here,” he said. He pulled a spare cloth and some rubbing alcohol from their first aid supplies in the armiger, and dabbed at the wound on his chest.

“Six, Gladio,” Noct said. “Just take a potion already.”

Gladio gave him a look. “And exactly _how_ many of those do we even _have_ now?” He said. “I’d better pass, because someone is going to need it more than I do.”

Gladio cleaned himself up as best as he could, and the others leaned against him and rested. Noct fell into a light sleep again, but Gladio stayed awake to watch over them all, peering into the dark, waiting for more daemons to spawn. None did, and the glow never faded from the stone in the center of the room.

Ignis finally stirred, and sat up with a groan that woke Prompto, who sat up too. Prompto rubbed at his eyes, and Ignis stared around them in puzzlement. “Where…?” His eyes landed on Gladio.

“Still in Costlemark, remember?” Gladio said.

“Oh… yes.” Ignis said, but his face didn’t lose its puzzled scrunch.

Gladio pursed his lips. Then he handed Ignis the half-empty water bottle. “Here,” he said.

Ignis took it and drained it quickly, then banished the empty bottle into the armiger with a sigh.

“Feeling a little rested, there, Iggy?” Gladio asked.

“Mmmm,” Ignis answered, and adjusted his glasses.

Prompto stifled a chuckle by draining his own bottle.

“I think we have our way out, now,” Gladio said, gesturing to the glowing stone. “Think you’re ready to get out of here?”

“More than you know,” Ignis said, his voice low.

“Hey,” Gladio said, and reached an arm behind himself to poke Noctis in the side. Noct grunted and stirred, but settled again for a moment -- and then shot up with a gasp.

“We’re still in here,” Noct said.

“Not for long,” Gladio answered, and jabbed a thumb towards the glowing stone. “If you’re awake, then how about we get ourselves out of here?”

“Yeah,” Noct said with a shaky breath, and stood. He held out his hand to Prompto and helped him up. Prompto accidentally put weight on his lame leg and yelped, then leaned into Noct as he hopped, trying to get his balance. “Doesn’t look good,” Noct said. “Think it’s broken?”

“Dunno, dude, but youch,” Prompto said.

“Just in case, we’d better not use anything on it,” Gladio said. “Don’t want it healing all wonky.”

“Yeah,” Noct said, “So don’t get hurt anywhere else.”

“Don’t need to tell _me_ twice,” Prompto said. “‘Sides… do we even _have_ anything else?”

Noct hesitated. “There’s a couple. Maybe.”

Gladio grimaced. He stood and gave Ignis a hand up -- then put a hand on his shoulder to steady him when he swayed. “You okay there?” he said.

“I’m fine,” Ignis said. “Just a bit light-headed, is all.” He pointedly avoided looking at Noct, who stared at him with slightly-knitted brows.

Gladio supported Ignis and Noct supported Prompto to the square stone, where Noct stepped on the glowing spot to trigger it. The stone lifted them up to the room above -- the large one with the first glowing stone. It was still empty; and even though another panel on the floor had started to glow, they completely ignored it.

Their progress was slow. Ignis was extremely dizzy, and even the light exertion of walking had him breathing heavily. Prompto limped along, trying to avoid putting any weight on his ankle. They made their way slowly up the ramp into the main part of Costlemark above before Gladio made them take a break.

“I’m fine,” Ignis said.

“Nope,” Gladio said. “And it’s not just you.” He nodded towards Noct and Prompto, lagging behind at a limping pace.

Ignis relented, then, and Gladio helped him down to lean against the wall. Noct helped Prompto take the last hopping steps to sit beside him. Prompto hissed as he sat, and once he was down, his hands went to his boot.

“Don’t take it off,” Gladio warned. “If it’s swelling, you won’t get it back on.”

“I know, I know…” Prompto mumbled. Instead of pulling the boot off, he gingerly prodded at his ankle, and winced as he did. “This is not going to be pretty,” he said.

Noct drew his lower lip between his teeth and looked down at both of them. “Specs… do we have any ice, or anything for Prompto?”

“Mmm,” Ignis said, his head resting against the wall, his eyes closed. Without opening them, he pulled an instant cold pack from the armiger, rolled it in his hands to activate it, and handed it to Prompto, who applied it to the side of his booted foot.

“I hope this works through the boot,” he said, with a humorless laugh.

“I guess we’ll see,” Ignis said wearily.

“We have any tape so I can stick it to my foot?” Prompto asked.

“I think Gladio stuck some duct tape in there,’ Noct said, and Gladio grunted in acknowledgement.

“Perhaps try the ace bandages first,” Ignis said. “They’re less likely to remove the finish from your boots or leave residue.” He pulled a bandage roll out and handed it to Prompto, who started wrapping it around both the pack and his boot.

“Leave it to Specs to worry about _tape residue_ down here…” Noct said with a dry chuckle.

They all fell silent then, the only noises the echo of water dripping in the distance and, deep below, the rumble of whatever monster lurked in the bottom of the dungeon. Ignis dropped off almost at once, and Prompto shortly after, his head lolling against Ignis’s shoulder. Noct sat on Prompto’s other side. Gladio settled in next to Ignis, leaned his own head against the wall, and heaved a sigh.

“I’ll keep watch for a bit,” Noct said.

“You sure?” Gladio said, looking over at him.

“Yeah,” Noct replied, and stood up with a sigh. “I’d better take my turn before I sleep. It’s just you and me right now, and there aren’t any lakes for you to dump me in to wake me up.”

“Hey, I only did that once,” Gladio rumbled. But he had leaned back against the wall again and was already drifting.

Noct stood in the archway, silhouetted by his light, staring into the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how about that Tumblr thing... >_>
> 
> I know a lot of people are jumping ship. I'm not planning on leaving Tumblr soon, but I don't really have a social media presence for my writing anywhere else right now, so I have nowhere else to go _to_. I'm not even sure where a good place for a fan writer would be. So if you all have any suggestions, I'm glad to hear them!
> 
> In the meantime...


	20. Chapter 20

Gladio roused them all after his turn at watch. Everyone struggled to wake, including Ignis. Gladio took it on himself to pass out water bottles and protein bars so Ignis wouldn’t have to worry about it.

Ignis was pale. Even after he ate, he seemed dazed.

And Prompto… When asked, he said he was fine, but his face was tight. Noct pressed some pain meds from the first aid kit into his hand with another water bottle and Prompto glaringly took them without arguing.

They waited just long enough for Prompto’s medicine to kick in -- a good twenty minutes of solemn almost-silence. Prompto attempted a few half-hearted conversations, but gave up when all anyone would give him was one-word answers. When he finally announced he was ready to try, they all pulled themselves to their feet and started the long trek.

The hallways, ramps, and boxy rooms were surprisingly empty, and though they expected more daemons to spawn at any moment, none came. They pushed forward as quickly as they could, but between their slow pace (courtesy Prompto's painful ankle and Ignis's fatigue) and stopping for breaks whenever Gladio decided someone couldn’t take any more (Ignis kept insisting he was ‘fine’, and Prompto refused to acknowledge his pain until Noct called him on it), their progress was slow. By the time they left the underground passages, they looked up to the rising moon and heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Then they slowly descended towards the mouth of the ruins.

From there, their sights were on the haven -- they could see the glow through the trees -- and they didn’t notice the chittering sound until the hundlegs were upon them.

The first one took Gladio in the leg. Its pincers clamped down on his calf and he stumbled and snarled a curse, letting go of Ignis to grab the pincers in his hands and pry them off with enough force that it shattered the bug’s head. Ignis stumbled aside and summoned his daggers just in time to fend off the initial thrusting attack of the second.

Noct summoned his own sword just in time to fend off a third. He let go of Prompto to press into his swing. Prompto staggered, then hopped backwards into a tree and leaned against it. He pulled out his Quicksilver and let out a disgusted whine. “Why did it have to be _bugs??”_ His gun shook with the trembling of his hand.

“Less talking, more shooting,” Gladio barked, his voice hoarse with pain.

The battlefield was chaotic and dark, the hundlegs roiling in and out of their lamplight making it hard to see how many there were. As soon as one of them fell, it seemed, another took its place. And they all were weary and in pain, and the weight of their weapons dragged at them.

Gladio positioned himself at Ignis’s back, while Prompto pressed into the tree and took shots where he could, and Noct danced about as well as he was able, though without his usual nimbleness. It only took one particularly ill-timed warp, and he stumbled on reentry. He had just enough time for a shuddering breath when a hundlegs lunged, lashing across his leg. He gasped and slashed at it, then stumbled backwards and fell -- and then it was on top of him.

It reared up, preparing to lunge. With the bug underlit by Noct’s light, Prompto took careful aim and shot it through the head. It landed heavily over Noct, who cried out when one of its legs, with all its dead weight behind it, pierced him through the fleshy part of his thigh.

Prompto limped toward him and heaved the hundlegs’ body off -- not without a whimper, and he fell backward to take his weight off his ankle. Noct pushed himself up and turned to Gladio and Ignis.

Gladio was still standing, but Ignis had sunk to his knees; the hundlegs he was fighting lunged -- and Noct warped just in time to slam into it and push it away. He summoned his greatsword and heaved another swing, cleaving the hundlegs between a couple of its segments. Its two halves fell, legs still wriggling ineffectually in the air. Noct’s weapon fell from his hands and he dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.

Gladio took out the last bug with a thrust of his own greatsword, then he, too, fell to hands and knees, mumbling profanities.

“That was _ugly,_ ” Prompto said.

“How about let’s not do that again,” Noct breathed.

“If we don’t want to do it again, we’d better get to the haven,” Gladio rasped.

Ignis said nothing. He was too busy gasping for breath. Gladio climbed to his feet and limped over to him. “Ignis?”

Ignis blinked up at him blearily, then toppled over. Gladio scooped an arm under his shoulders just before he hit the ground.

“Ignis!” Noct cried, and was at his side in an instant. Prompto hopped over and leaned against Noct.

With all their lights trained on him, they could see the dampness on his trouser leg on his upper thigh -- dampness surrounding a rip in the fabric. One of the hundlegs must have gotten through his flailing daggers to land a hit. Ignis lay tense in Gladio's arms, gritting his teeth, and taking the deepest, most measured breaths he could manage. His hands grasped at his leg.

Gladio started to curse -- but the sound of daemons rising from the ground reminded them where they were. Gladio staggered to his feet, lifting Ignis with him, and took off at a limping jog towards the light of the haven. Ignis clung to his neck and winced with every jolting step. Noct and Prompto leaned on each other and hobbled in Gladio’s wake as quickly as they could manage, trailing blood behind them. They were soon being chased by little ankle-biting daemons that chittered at them, spurring them on.

The haven felt like forever away, even though it wasn’t far. They all scrambled up onto the stone of the haven, leaving the daemons behind. They collapsed there in a gasping, groaning pile.

Thankfully, their camp equipment was still set up. Gladio recovered first and helped Ignis to a chair, then Prompto. Noct limped to a chair on his own. Gladio then handed out the last of the elixirs -- one to Ignis, one to Noct… and the last potion, he started to give to Prompto, but Prompto pushed it away. “Can’t. And you need it more.”

Gladio hesitated, then downed the potion himself. Then he stuck their cooler under Prompto’s feet, and pressed pain meds and a water bottle into Prompto’s hands. “Sorry, Blondie; we’ll get you one when we can.”

“Don’t mind me,” Prompto said shakily, and took the pills and downed the water in several long gulps. Then he sighed, and leaned back. “Thanks, big guy,” Prompto said.

Ignis leaned back in his chair too, and draped an arm over his face.

“Ignis?” Gladio asked.

Ignis lifted his arm and peered at Gladio. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breathing was still fast and heavy. “Apologies,” he said. “I’m just… quite dizzy.”

Gladio squinted at him. “Alright, everyone to the car,” he said. “Noct, get the birds here.”

“What?” Noct said. “Why? Can’t it wait for morning?”

“Nope,” Gladio said.

“But everyone needs some rest,” Noct said.

“I think Ignis needs a hospital more,” Gladio said, and Noct blanched then, and pulled out his whistle. That Ignis _didn’t_ protest was telling. As soon as the chocobos arrived, Gladio gave Prompto a hand up and helped him mount his bird. Prompto settled himself gingerly, his face tense with pain.

Then Gladio helped Ignis to stand. Ignis’s bird fluffed her fuchsia feathers and thrust her face into his chest. Ignis gave her a tight smile and scritched her chin before Gladio helped him onto his bird. Gladio then mounted his own, and they headed for the car. It wasn’t far, but before they were halfway there, Ignis was already swaying in the saddle. Gladio drew his bird up beside Ignis and took hold of the bridle of Ignis’s bird. He slowed both of them to a walk.

“I’m fine,” Ignis said, but Gladio ignored him.

The road was close, and they quickly reached the safety of the streetlights. Gladio and Noct helped Ignis and Prompto into the car. Gladio himself took the wheel, muttering thanks to Cindy for installing the daemon-repellant headlights. The Chocobo Post was the nearest place with a clinic. They arrived shortly before dawn.

Wiz was up and about, starting his chores with his animals; they saw him crossing the yard as the Regalia pulled up. Wiz took one look at them piling out of the car -- their blood-drenched and ripped clothes, and haggard faces -- and his face turned as grim as they’d ever seen it. He directed them all into the back room of the post where the clinic was. It was too early for his clinician to be up, so he just settled them all in -- Ignis on the cot, Prompto in a chair with another chair for his injured foot. Noct sat next to Prompto, and Gladio poked around looking unsuccessfully for an ice pack for Prompto’s foot.

Wiz excused himself to make a call. When he came back, he browbeat Gladio into a chair too. Then he beelined to a back cupboard and pulled out a cold pack. “I’m surprised you even made it this far,” he said to Gladio while he rolled the pack in his hands to activate it. “Y’all look like you’ve been hung out to dry. When was the last time you slept?”

Gladio rubbed a hand over his weary face. “Don’t ask,” he said, and glanced at Ignis on the cot. Ignis had fallen asleep as soon as he lay down, with no thought for his tattered and blood-stained clothes. Wiz settled the cold pack gently on Prompto’s elevated ankle. Prompto didn’t even stir; his head lolled against Noct’s shoulder. Gladio took a deep breath, then exhaled, long and slow.

“Well,” Wiz said gently, “I’m just glad you made it in one piece and someone’s not pulling your bodies out of a ditch somewhere.” He looked at Gladio with a wry smile. “Ain’t got no business driving when you’re strung out like a chocobo mama with more babies than she knows how to deal with.”

Gladio gave a low chuckle -- which dissolved into a yawn.

Wiz ‘hmph’ed at him, still smiling. He clapped a hand on Gladio’s shoulder. “Y’all get some rest,” he said. “I got a call in to Lestallum, ‘n they’re sending help that can do more than my guy can. Y’all look like you need it. But it’ll be an hour or two before they get here. I know it’s not too comfy back here with only the one cot, but y’oughta sleep while you can.”

Gladio grunted in acknowledgement, already dozing off where he sat.

 

* * *

 

The setting sun barely peeked over the Lestallum rooftops into Ignis’s hospital room window when Gladio wheeled Prompto in, his foot in a cast and elevated by his wheelchair.

“I’m gonna need new boots,” Prompto whined, his words slightly slurred thanks to painkillers.

Curled up in a recliner by Ignis’s bed, Noct opened an eye and peered at Prompto. “Thought I told you to lay off the drugs,” he said with a teasing smile.

Prompto’s chin dropped and he squeaked.

“Give the kid a break,” Gladio said. “He’s had a rough… few… days.”

“Haven’t we all,” Ignis said. He plucked at the tape securing an IV to the inside of his elbow. His transfusion had ended some time ago, but the doctors had insisted he needed more fluids and antibiotics -- and more rest. He sighed and grabbed the styrofoam cup of water from the rolling side table between him and Noct and sipped at the straw.

“He can’t help it if they gave ‘im the good stuff for pain,” Gladio continued. He pushed Prompto’s chair back against the wall so Prompto could face the room.

“But… my _boots_.” Prompto moaned.

Gladio ruffled Prompto’s hair as he stepped past and took the chair by the window. “‘S what you get for breaking your foot,” he said. “Thought you knew how to roll out of a fall.”

“I _do._ ”

“So _do_ it next time and then they won’t have to cut your boot off your swollen foot.”

Prompto groaned and let his head fall back against the wall.

“If that’s the one thing that’s bothering you, I think you’ll be okay,” Noct said with a smile.

“Six week recovery, they said,” Prompto grumbled.

Noct picked up the straw wrapper from next to Ignis’s cup and rolled it between his fingers into a little ball. “We’ll…” Noct sighed. “We’ll get more potions and set your foot back to normal. You won’t have to wait that long.”

“Just long enough for us to settle the hospital bill,” Gladio said with a dark chuckle.

Ignis didn’t laugh. His face was pensive, and he plucked at his hospital blanket.

“I’m… I’m sorry, all of you,” Ignis said.

“What do you have to be sorry about?” Noct said.

“I feel as though this is all my fault.”

Noct pinched his brows together. “I thought we went over this before,” he said.

“Next time just tell us when you don’t feel good,” Gladio said. “That’ll help a lot.”

“And stop pretending you’re fine when you’re not,” Prompto said.

“Pot, kettle,” Noct said, and tossed the balled-up straw wrapper at Prompto.

Prompto flinched when It bounced off his forehead. “Hey!”

Ignis sighed. “I don’t think I need this lecture from _you lot_ as well.”

Gladio’s eyebrows rose. “As _well?”_

“Oh yeah, you missed it,” Noct said. “His thrombosis specialist was in here earlier, chewing him out.”

Gladio looked at Ignis. “Really.”

Ignis pursed his lips and looked away.

“Yeah,” Noct said with a chuckle. “Turns out he’s kinda pissed that Ignis went dungeon-crawling without thinking about his medicine.”

Gladio leaned elbows on knees and rested his chin in his palms. “Do tell,” he said.

Ignis glowered at him.

“He’s on standing orders to _not do that again,”_ Noct said. “And I was here for the whole thing, so he can’t hide it from me this time.”

Ignis turned a strange shade of pale. “Highness, I--”

“I’m still mad about that, by the way.”

“But--”

“Nope, no more dungeons,” Noct said. “Whatever’s in Costlemark is gonna have to wait, ‘cause I’m not going in _there_ again until we’re all at full strength. And maybe have an army.”

Ignis sighed. “As you say, Highness.”

“We’re headed to Altissia anyway,” Prompto said. “Altissia’s gonna be way better than dungeons.”

“I suppose,” Ignis said hesitantly.

“You _suppose?”_ Gladio said.

Ignis nudged his glasses up his nose and glared. “I _suppose_ I should evict you all from my room so I can _rest,_ ” he said.

“Noooooo, Iggy,” Prompto wailed. “Say it ain’t so!”

Gladio chuckled. “Well, I think we have our marching orders. Looks like Iggy’s _finally_ learning to prioritize his own health.” He stood and rolled Prompto to the door. “C’mon, Princess, better let Iggy get his beauty sleep.”

Noct groaned, but he still extracted himself from the chair and followed Gladio. He paused at the threshold and looked back at Ignis. “Think you’re up for a trip to Caem?”

Ignis gave him a small smile. “I think it’s about time,” he said.

Noct’s return smile was soft. “I’ll be glad to have you with me.”

Ignis bowed his head. “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This sure ended up a lot longer than I intended and went more places than I meant it to, but I definitely enjoyed the journey -- and I hope you did too. Thank you for reading! ^_^

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Tumblr [@avianscribe!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/avianscribe)


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